Like Father, Like Son
by Neo Rabbit Keeper Of NeoVerse
Summary: This angstly charged drama focuses on a painful, yet reviving relationship between Buster and the sudden arrival of his father on the eves of Father's Day. RR. No flames. Last Chap. Up!
1. Five Days Earlier

**Like Father, Like Son **  
**A Tiny Toon Adventures Fanfiction **  
**By Neo Rabbit**

Disclaimer: The Tiny Toon Characters belong to Warner Bros. Entertainment. Harold Bunny and other fancharacters belongs to me.

A/N: Despite the fact that Father's Day is over, I've decided to come up with this little. Although the genre is what's listed below, I've decided to make it sort of an angst. Anyway, enjoy!

Rating: **PG-13 for Mature Themes, Language, Violence, and Brief Drug References**

Genre: **Drama**

* * *

Chapter One: **Five Days Earlier **

* * *

He was sixteen years of age now. But that doesn't change anything for him at all. He thought he could prevent it from happening, but he couldn't. Why? Was it because of an emotion of sheer hate that drove him away from that particular person? A person who wanted a second chance to be with him? 

A person...who is his father?

The answer grew in silence.

Buster Bunny stood on the grassy ground staring at the tombstone grave. His estranged father's grave. He changed his attire as of late, wearing only a rain coat, which covered a light blue sweater, a tan grey pant, white gloves, and shades to cover his eyes, which hid his saddened expression. Not to mention that he's bare-footed and has an inch-long bucktooth.

He's a bit taller than usual and his blue ears has gotten a bit longer in length.

Aside from the heavy rain, it was dark outside and the wind was briefly strong. But he didn't care.  
He didn't mind the rain at all. He kept staring at the grave like he was actually staring at a person.  
He thought about leaving, but decided to stay for a while. Alone from everyone else except his thoughts.

* * *

(Five Days Earlier) 

It was Wednesday morning in the month of June. Five days until Father's Day as Buster Bunny and Babs Bunny were enjoying life at the usual. Both carrying backpacks and walking to school along the forest.

Sixteen-year-old Babs Bunny was wearing a light purple shoulder-less shirt, black pants, and a necklace around her neck. She has gotten rid of the bows that she'd worn in the last year since the new dress code was in effect for the students of Acme Looniversity.

It was only a couple of minutes when the two rabbits finally arrived at the school, passing other entering students.

Inside the hallway, Plucky Duck and Hampton Pig, who wore differently fitted clothings, were digging in their lockers for their school works, conversing while doing so.

"So, Hammy, what's on the subject today?" Plucky asked, taking his book out

Hampton took his book out and closed his locker shortly after Plucky did before he answered.

"Well, I don't know, Plucky. But...it's a one to million chance that it's Physic 101."

Plucky snickered in disbelief.

"Yeah, right."

Before the two could leave, they caught sight of the double door opening, revealing Buster and Babs Bunny entering behind a couple of students.

As they met up with each other, they said their greetings before making their routes to their respective classes.

However, they were unaware that someone was watching them from the other side of the hallway. A dark male blue rabbit, in his late 30s, at possibly 39 years of years, with an inch long bucktooth, whiskers on cheeks, and an inch long hair between his long ears, was watching the gangs depart. But he was mostly setting his gaze upon Buster Bunny for some particular reason.


	2. A Bitter Reunion

Chapter Two: **A Bitter Reunion**

* * *

It was a few hours later leading to nurtrition as Buster, Babs, Plucky, Hampton, Shirley and Fifi were at a single rectangular table enjoying their foods. 

Like Buster, Babs, and others, Shirley and Fifi were wearing differently fitted clothings prior to the dress code.

"So, what are the plans for Father's Day?" Plucky asked

Babs swallowed her food before answering.

"Gee, I don't know. My dad visits once in a while, so I might get him something." She said before gazing Shirley. "How 'bout you Shirley?"

Shirley briefly snickered before answering.

"I don't know. I was thinking of giving him, like, a real unique gift."

"Like?" Buster, Babs, Plucky, Hampton, and Fifi smugly replied unisonly in their gazing interest

Shirley gazed them and chuckled a bit in anticipation to this.

"No way. It's a surprise."

"Oooh, I love surprises." Babs said

"Heh, don't we all?" Buster replied before chewing on a carrot cake

Babs gazed him sternly.

"Yeah." She answered

Shirley gazed Fifi after swallowing her Tofu.

"What about you, Fifi?"

Fifi thought for a moment before answering.

"Hmm. I am thinking maybe perfume."

Plucky veered to Hampton's ear and whispered.

"Big surprise there." He said as Hampton snickered a bit

Apparently, Fifi noticed it.

"What's so funny?" She asked

Gazing her, Hampton cleared his throat a bit, while Plucky quickly sat up with an innocent look on his face.

"Nothing. That's, uh, very nice for your father."

Despite the fact of her notification to Plucky whispering to him, Fifi smiled and hugged Hampton.

"Merci, Hampton."

"Welcome." He said as Fifi released the hug

"What about you, Pluckster." Buster asked

Plucky gazed Buster in confusion a bit.

"Huh?"

Buster gazed Babs, who returned his gaze.

"Did we-Did we lose him?"

Babs shook her head.

"I don't know. (To Plucky) Plucky, did you hear what we said?"

Mockingly, Plucky got into thought before speaking.

"Uh...something about..."

Instantly, Shirley slapped him upside the head as Plucky felt the impact.

"Ow! Okay, okay! Father's Day."

Shirley nodded.

"Like, that's what I thought."

"Well?" Babs started as Plucky gazed her mockingly in confusion

"Well, what?"

Buster and Babs groaned in annoyance.

"What...are you gonna get your father for Father's Day?" Babs asked

Taking a deep breath, Plucky got into thought.

"Uh...I don't know. Something really surprising. Like a, uh...gold watch."

Instantly, Buster issued a muffled laughter much to Plucky's dismay. And he had reasons for his laughter. due to the fact that Plucky couldn't possibly afford to get a gold watch.

"What the hell's so funny, blue ears?"

Clearing his throat a bit, Buster answered.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Plucky nodded.

"Good. By the way, what you gonna get for your daddy, blue ears?" Plucky asked

However, due to the mention of that, Buster grew silence and issued a frown on his face, slowly gazing down from Plucky's gaze.

Instantly, Plucky's eyes widen, realizing his mistake.

"Oh, god. Buster, I'm sorry. I--"

Buster shook his head before cutting Plucky off.

"Don't-Don't worry about it. It's okay." Buster replied with his gaze still from Plucky, who noticed.

"Are--Are you okay?"

Buster lifted his face up with a deep breath and spoke with his gaze still away from Plucky.

"Yeah. I'm--I'm fine." He said before clearing his throat. "Listen, I'm gonna go to the restroom.You think you can watch my seat, Babsy?"

Babs nodded.

"Sure."

"Thanks." He said before getting up from his seat

As soon as he departed, the girls including Hampton glared to Plucky, who noticed.

"What?"

"You have to say that in front of him?" Babs asked

Plucky grimaced.

"Look, I forgot, alright? Now let's just skip it, okay?"

After a brief silence, the girls and Hampton continues their meal while awaiting Buster. Suddenly,  
someone came up to the table in the form of a dark blue bunny wearing a black jacket, blue pants,  
shades on eyes, and was bare-footed.

They instantly took notice of his presence.

"Hello. Can we help you?" Babs asked

The blue rabbit nodded.

"Yes. My name is Harold Bunny and I'm looking for Buster Bunny. Have you seen him?" He asked

Briefly silence, Babs inspected his appearance and could tell that this person was an adult due to his height and not someone older that possibly transferred to the school. Naturally, Babs nodded.

"Yes. He went to the restroom moments ago."

Harold nodded.

"Thank you."

As he turned to head in the direction of the boy's restroom, he frozed in place, catching sight of Buster's feature approaching his way.

As Buster got to the table, he noticed Harold, who was gazing him every step of the way.

Buster snuck a glance at him before he gazes Babs curiously.

"What's going on?"

"This guy Harold says he was looking for you."

"Oh." He said before gazing Harold. "Were you?"

Briefly silence, Harold slightly nodded.

"Yes." He said, softly

Buster strugs a bit.

"Well, I'm here. What do ya want?"

Harold swallowed saliva a bit, then, while inspecting Buster's entire feature with him being two inches of Buster's length, sharply exhaled before speaking.

"Wow. It's, uh...it's been a long time. (snickers) I find it kinda subtle that you could handle yourself on your own."

Buster grew confused at this by the minute. But nevertheless, he replied.

"O-kay. Uh...what are you--what are you..."

"Buster..." He started bracing both hands on both of Buster's shoulders before sighing deeply. "I'm...your father."

Buster issued a long silence in surprise before his gaze momentarily turned to disbelief.

"Yeah, right. That's cute. (To Babs) Nice try, Babsy."

Babs issued a confused gaze to Buster.

"What? He came to us."

Buster instantly gazed Plucky, who noticed and got on the defensive.

"Oh, no, you don't. You're not pinning this on me."

Before Buster could come to gaze with the others, Harold shook his shoulders, forcing Buster's gaze to him.

"Son, this isn't a joke. I'm really your father." Harold softly said the last part before taking off his shades, revealing his brown pupiled eyes

Buster studied his eyes long and hard. Then, grew a bit shocked at this, simultaneously in his disbelief state.

"No way. You-You can't be my father. Because I don't have any parents."

Harold grew shocked by that statement.

"Who told you that?"

Buster briefly shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. I believed it."

"Look, I am you father and I can prove it."

After that, Harold grew silence in hopes that Buster would let him proceed. Buster, however, wanted to end this charade and wanted him to go, but decided to give him a chance to enlighten him on the situation.

"Okay. Prove it."

Harold nodded slightly before rolling up the left sleeve of his coat where a birthmark was carved at on the upper shoulder. Buster examined the birthmark before Harold spoke.

"This is a birthmark that your mother, who has the same mark from her birth, had a surgeon marked me with before you were born. After you were born, you have a mark carved just like it. Just like she wanted it to be."

Buster gazed from the mark to Harold in disbelief.

"I don't believe it."

Harold grimaced, noticing his gaze.

"Look at the mark. On your upper chest."

Buster paused for a moment before slowly reaching for the upper part of his shirt, while the gangs at the table watched. As Buster stretched open the shirt, he gasped in shock when he saw the same birthmark, which Harold has, is on his uppermost chest.

Harold noticed.

"Proof enough for you, son?"

Buster slowly gazed towards Harold in shock at this revelation as the gangs were in shock as well, but kept silence from the ordeal. Shirley, however, felt worried by a strong unpleasant vibe issuing between them, but also kept herself quiet of the situation.

After what seems like an eternity, Buster finally spoke.

"Dad?"

Harold smiled and slightly nodded.

"Yes."

In his heart, Buster wanted to embrace his father in a hug of a lifetime and shed loads of happy tears of joy for this reunion. But in his mind, something else told him otherwise, which got Buster issuing him a slow, cold hard glare to Harold, who instantly noticed and lost the smile with a look of worries.

"Son, what's wrong?"

Buster grew silence for a while before slowly approaching towards Harold. The gangs watched in worries as they feared the worst that Buster might strike him, his own estranged father, on their first reunion.

However, that didn't happen, for Buster slowly moved his mouth and emotionlessly whispered the most disheartening statement to him.

"Go to Hell."

Harold grew shocked by this before Buster turned his back on his father and made his leave from the cafeteria. The gangs noticed this in shock before Babs started getting up and going after him.

"Buster!" She called out

Harold just stood there with the shocked expression muted on his face. He then slowly lowered his head in shame, as if he knows what's bothering Buster at the moment.

Shirley took notice of this and grew saddened by this as well as the others.

"Poor guy." Plucky said before gazing from Harold to Shirley questionably. "What did Buster say to him?"

Shirley wanted to answer him, but grew silence for a while.

* * *

Meanwhile, Buster was waltzing the hallway as Babs was racing to catch up with him. 

"Buster!"

But Buster kept walking, unresponsive to her. Eventually, Babs caught up with him.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me?" Buster immediately answered

Realizing his sudden answer, Babs' expression grew in disbelief.

"I don't believe that."

"Fine. Then don't believe it."

Grimacing in anger, Babs stopped, then halted Buster's pace by grabbing his left arm and forcing him to face.

"Goddamnit, Buster. What did you say to him?"

With a narrowed glare towards her, Buster answered in a cold tone.

"None of your business."

With that being said, Buster made his leave out of the school as Babs watched him leave with an expression of anger in her eyes before shaking her head and heading back to the cafeteria.


	3. Help Unwanted

Chapter Three: **Help Unwanted

* * *

**  
It was a couple of hours later before lunch time as Babs was in her class, seating at her desk with her own thoughts while the students tend to their work. 

'_Why would Buster walk out on his own father like that?_' She thought

She'd ask Harold about it, but he grew too depress to even bring the subject up at the moment. Something was going on between Buster and Harold and she tends to find out about it. Her thoughts were soon interrupted when she noticed her teacher, Wile E. Coyote, standing by her desk, gazing her in worries.

"Is there something wrong, Babs?" He asked

"Oh, uh...It's-It's nothing. Just thinking."

Wile E. nodded, but knew that she was gazing forward for more than five minutes without a word.

"Okay. Well, try thinking on your classwork, okay?"

Babs nodded as Wile E. left her sight. While she watched him leave to the front desk, she briefly got back into thought before going back to her classwork.

* * *

During lunchtime, Babs made a pit stop to Principal Bugs Bunny's office to discuss the issue with him. However, Bugs grew a bit shocked at this revelation involving Buster's estranged father aside from the fact that Buster left in the middle of school in results to this. 

"His father?"

Babs nodded.

"Yeah. Amazing, isn't it?"

Bugs nodded.

"Yeah. Is, uh...Is Buster happy ta see him?"

Lowering her gaze from him, Babs sighed deeply as Bugs surprisingly took anticipation to this.

"You're kiddin'. Wh-What happened?"

When Babs told him, he was beyond appalled by this.

"My god. Why do you suppose he's--"

"I-I don't know. I caught up with him and I asked him. He glared me on and said it was none of my business."

Bugs gazed from Babs a bit and rubbed his chin in thought.

"Gee, dat really is a problem."

Babs slightly nodded in agreement.

"What should I do?"

Instantly, Bugs gazed her after that question.

"Excuse me?"

"What should I do?"

After a brief silence, Bugs answered.

"Nothing."

Babs' expression grew of surprise.

"Why?"

Bugs grew a bit silence before slowly lowering his gaze from her.

"Because 'dis matter is between _him_ and his father. You can't get in da way of dat."

"But-But-"

Instantly, Bugs gazed her.

"No buts, Babs. Now please."

Babs grew silence for a while before slightly nodding.

"Okay. I'll leave him alone." She replied

* * *

Five minutes later in the cafeteria, as Babs and Shirley sat at the table while the others went for more food, Shirley grew surprised as to what was told to her by Babs. 

"You want me to..."

"...come with me so we can straighten this whole thing out with Buster and his father."

Shirley grew silence for a while with the same surprised expression on her face before speaking.

"Look, Babs, Buster said that it was none of yer business and Bugs totally agreed with it. Why-Why do you wanna get involved if you said you're not going to?"

Babs exhaled before speaking.

"Come on, Shirl. This is father and son we're talking about here. A reunion gone bad. Okay?"

"I know, I know! But I don't know about this." She said as Babs gazed from her in annoyance to her obvious reluctant speech. "I mean, butting into his personal issues--"

Instantly, Babs gazed her.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Babs asked, cutting her off

"I said, I don't know! 'Kay?" Shirley said

"Okay. And don't worry. I'm sure that if Buster cools off a bit, we can be able to have him unite with his father again."

* * *

It was a couple of hours later as Buster was laying on his bed, staring at a picture of himself as a baby. At the same time, he was at his own thoughts of his '_father._' He wanted to feel happy that his father has visited his school, but couldn't for some apparent reason. Sometimes, he started to think that if he's really his father, he'd cradle him in his arms alongside his mother. But he didn't see neither one of them. All he saw was his baby self in a basket, sheeted with a blanket. 

Buster softly shook his head in dismay at that very thought.

"Some father." He softly said before carelessly throwing the picture aside, which hits the floor.

Before he could turn and drift off to sleep, he heard four knocks to his door. Getting up, he approached towards the door and looked through the peephole. He sighed deeply when he saw Babs and Shirley at his front door.

Turning the knob, he opened the door while Babs and Shirley invited themselves in. This reaction came of a surprise to Buster.

"Can I help you girls?" He asked

After Babs instructed Shirley to sit on a chair, Babs sat on the foot of his bed and gazed Buster with a frown on her face. She was obviously still steamed after what transpired at the school moments ago, but kept her emotions intact for a while and got to the important matter.

"Yes, you can." She said before gesturing towards the bed. "Sit down. We need to talk."

As Buster approached, he briefly grew suspicious by this.

"About what?" He asked

"About your father."

Buster halted his approach and grew silence for a while. Eventually, he spoke.

"My...my father?"

Babs nodded.

"Yeah."

After a bit of silence, Buster issued a brief glare and scoffed a bit before momentarily gazing from her, then back to her again.

"There's nothing to talk about him. Get out." He ordered as Babs grew surprised by that response.

"Get out?" She repeated before shaking her head in refusal. "No. No, No, No. We-We are not leaving until we find out what the hell is the problem between you and your father."

Buster shook his head.

"Babs, this has nothing to do with you. In case you haven't heard me the first time--"

Cutting his statement off, Babs instantly got up from the bed and approached before stopping inches from Buster with a glare on her face.

"Don't-Don't even say it. I heard the first time. Quite frankly, I've decided to make it my business."

"Ooooh, what a coincidence." Buster replied in sarcastic tone.

But Babs ignored it before continuing.

"What did you say to hurt his feelings like that?" She asked

Buster grimaced in a heap of anger before speaking.

"That's none--"

He stopped himself, studying her strong determined gaze. Then realized that she'll be repeating that early statement again. He shook his head in defeat.

"Fine. You wanna know what I said to him?"

Babs nodded.

"Yeah."

"Okay. I told him to go to hell."

Babs and Shirley instantly gasped in surprised at this.

"What?" Shirley said

"You said that to your own father?" Babs questioned

Briefly ignoring the last word that she mentioned, Buster nodded.

"Yeah. You know, I could've went with '_Screw you, Dad._' But, you know what? That was much better."

Babs briefly glared him on.

"How could you be so heartless?"

Buster grimaced in frustration.

"Look, I told you that it was none of your goddamn business! But you wanna push for the truth, so I gave you the truth!"

Buster turned and waltzed a few feet away with his back to Babs, who kept her glare to him.

"Not all of it."

Buster groaned in annoyance.

"Fine, _detective_." He started before turning to face her. "What did I leave out? Hmm?" He asked

"Why are you so angry at him? Huh?" She asked

Buster exhaled deeply with his gaze lowered before answering.

"Sixteen years." He replied softly

Both girls grew confused as Shirley got up and approached beside Babs.

"Sixteen Years?" Babs repeated

Buster nodded.

"Of what?" Babs asked

Buster slowly gaze her with a look of suspicion in his eyes.

"Why do you want to know so much?" He asked softly

Babs grew surprise by this as Buster instantly anticipated something.

"Wait. He-He's here, isn't he?"

"N-No, he's not! Why would you assume something like that?"

"No, here's my question. One: _Why would you ask me absurd questions about him?_ Two: _Why are you even defending him!_"

"First of all, I'm not defending him; I'm not his lawyer. And second, I'm asking these _important_ questions because you hurt his feelings back there in that cafeteria today!"

Mockingly, Buster puts on a surprised gaze due to that second statement she made before speaking.

"Oh! Oh, so he-he has feelings now. You know, that's the second time you said that. And it's a good thing that you mentioned it too."

Babs briefly grimaced.

"Look, Buster..." She started before Buster intervened

"No, see, if he had feelings, he would've cared for me for sixteen years rather than _abandon_ me." He said, as Babs grew shocked by that statement before he continued. "Yeah, it's a little late for that now."

Aside from her expression, Babs shook her head, while Shirley remained quiet in her own shock expression in spite of the fact that she knew that this was coming.

"No, it's not. You can still talk to him."

"Why? He's not your father."

"You know something, you're right. You are absolutely right. He's not _my_ father. He's yours. Which is for all the more reason for you to at least talk to him. Just one talk."

"Why?" He asked

"You know, to-to unburden yourself." Shirley replied

Briefly silence, Buster issued a chuckle of amusement much to Babs and Shirley's dismay.

"Unburden myself? Look, I've been carrying the burden behind his ass for sixteen years. Now unless he can give those years back to me, then, and only then, will we have a nice, pleasant, and cool father/son relationship." Buster paused a bit and spoke. "Until then, the statement being, '_Go to Hell_' is still in effect upon him. And as far as this conversation goes, it's over. Goodbye."

"But--"

"N--Goodbye, Babs!"

Buster started to escort them both from his burrow, but when he was halfway to the door, Babs fought off him and gazed him in sheer anxiety.

Buster noticed, but grew unfazed by it.

"You mean to tell me you're gonna hold onto this for the rest of the life?"

Buster shook his head.

"Oh, no. For the rest of _his_ life. Maybe for more than sixteen years."

"But-But he's your father, dammit!" Babs briefly shouted which triggered frustration from Buster

"STOP SAYING THAT!" He shouted before issuing a mock tone. "He's your father! He's your father! (normal voice) It's always the same shit!"

"Buster..." Babs started to say just to calm him down, but Buster intervened.

"No, you know what? As far as I'm concerned, I have no father. And if you continue this little charade, then sooner of later...I won't have a girlfriend. (pause) Goodbye."

Babs felt deeply hurt by those words while keeping her glare to Buster, who stood still with his strong glare towards her, awaiting her departure from his burrow. Eventually, she grabbed Shirley by her hand and started out the burrow as Buster slammed his door closed behind them and locked it up.

After that, he braced his back against the door and sighed deeply before sliding down to the floor in a fetal position. All the while, he felt so much emotion riding all over his vein. So much hurt that he wants to let go. So much pain. He wanted it to stop. He felt sorry for yelling at them like that, but with the pressure building on him, he had good reasons to.

Unknowingly, he shed some tears and stayed in his position for a while.

* * *

Outside into the night, Babs was waltzing, in a fast pace, the forest ground with Shirley in her own heap of anger after what just happened as Shirley eventually halted her from walking. 

"Would you, like, stop for a minute!"

"Get outta my way, Shirley."

"Why? So you can go home and think about what you did?"

Instantly, Babs got on the defense by this.

"Y--What _I_ did?"

"Yeah. You've already been told twice to stay out of this and you just won't do it!"

"Look, I am not gonna stand around and watch a father and son tear themselves apart over sixteen years!"

"Babs, I'm totally telling you this as a friend. Leave...this...alone. It is not your call on this."

"Oh, come on, Shirley."

"And don't give me that. That worked on me once and it's not gonna work again." She said before bracing both hands on Babs' shoulders. "Let them handle it. 'Kay?"

Babs almost went on the verge of tears, but subsided it for a while and shook her head.

"No. It's not right."

Removing her hands from Babs' shoulders, Shirley grimaced and was gonna speak, but Babs instantly noticed and intervened.

"N--It's just not right, Shirley. I mean, it'll be a long time before they start talking to each other."

"Look, give them time." She said

But that statement only threw her in a heap of frustration.

"N--Dammit! Time is what they don't have! Father's Day is in a few days! It is the most important day in the month where many kids like us can shower our dads with gift and such. That's an expression of love. Alright? What happened between him and his father -- That wasn't love. That was sheer hatred."

Shirley nodded.

"I know. I felt it. But you can't do anything about it. It is between them. Do you understand?"

A long silence issued from Babs as her gaze was lowered from Shirley's gaze. Shirley noticed, but kept quiet, awaiting her answer. Eventually, Babs answered.

"Yeah."

Shirley slightly nodded and released the hold on Babs' shoulder. Eventually, they resumed walking the forest until they went their separate ways towards their respective homes.

* * *

Babs laid in her bed alone, gazing long at a portrait picture of herself and Buster. She had explained to her mother where she went, but didn't tell her what happened. Which is a relief for her. But her relief vanished instantly due to the thought of what transpired moments ago. 

'_And if you continue this little charade, then sooner of later...I won't have a girlfriend. (pause) Goodbye._'

She once again felt hurt from Buster's words that echoed in her mind, but had to ease herself not to think about it. She knew that Buster was in a lot of stress at the moment when it comes to the mention of his father. She wanted to give up and leave him be like she was told to do, but another thought told her otherwise. Buster is her boyfriend and she wanted to do everything she can to help him...if he let her at some point. She had a good mind to go back to his burrow and straighten him out, but decided against it for a while. Besides, it was late.

So she placed the portrait on her drawer, covered herself on her bed, and shut off her lamp before drifting off to sleep.


	4. Impulse

Chapter Four: **Impulse**

* * *

It was now in the middle of the Thursday afternoon for the students of Acme Looniversity. And it became the talk of the school inside the cafeteria involving the revelation between Buster and his estranged father. 

Some students didn't seem to mind while some thought it was sweet. However, a few students took it as a humorous act and decided to ridicule the person for their own enjoyment.

A brown coyote, who wore a jersey jacket and blue jeans whispered into one of his friend's ear while gazing towards the table where Buster and his friends were.

Buster didn't seem to notice as he continued eating his lunch, while the others followed suit. Plucky, Hampton, and Fifi stared Buster on in a heap of anxiety for him after what was told to them by Babs and Shirley on the events that transpired yesterday night. Buster seems to briefly notice it, but ignored it and continued eating his food.

Plucky, Fifi, and Hampton instantly got the idea and decided to leave him alone for a while. Babs and Shirley stayed out of eye-contact from Buster, who took notice of it.

Eventually, after he was done eating and some clear thinking, he sighed deeply and spoke.

"Look, Babs..."

Babs gazed him halfway while eating as the others followed suit. Buster gazed down from her a bit before speaking.

"I, uh...I want to apologize for what I said last night. (shakes head) I don't know. I was, um...a bit stressed out is all."

Now Babs gave him his full attention as Buster continued with his gaze to her.

"Look, you're a good friend. I mean that. And-And I appreciate your help. Really, I do. But this isn't something you can fix back together. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is."

Babs grew silence for a while. Then, nodded with a slight smile on her face.

"It's okay." She softly said

Buster issued a slight smile and before he could get up to dispose of his food, a brown coyote, at his length, stood a few inches in front of him with a menacing smirk on his face.

"Hey, long ears."

Buster stayed at his seat and placed his tray down with a look of annoyance on his face.

"What do you want, Derek?" Buster asked

Derek Coyote, 17 years of age, was not one of the most annoying students of the school, but he serves his purpose at ridiculing almost anyone, including Buster and his friends. And at the state Buster was in, he was in no mood for Derek. However, that didn't apply to the brown coyote at all as he slowly approached and stopped inches from him before speaking.

"Word is out all over school is that your old man visited here."

"Look, Derek, this really isn't the time nor--" Buster started to say, but Derek interrupted

"I mean, here we thought you were a lonely-ass bunny who seems to know how to take care of himself. Yet, your old man comes here after so many years to visit you."

"Derek, please." Babs briefly pleaded

Derek, however, ignored it and veered closer to Buster's face with his left hand resting on the table before speaking.

"You know, you must feel really bad that your own dad left you behind after so many years. I never had a dad like that. A dad that...carries me in a basket and throws me in a dumpster."

Buster's face seems to grow briefly tense throughout the entire game that Derek was playing and he was almost growing into irritation as the gangs noticed and tried to stop him, but once again, Derek ignored it and continued. But while doing so, and with other students watching in interest, he was unaware that Buster was slowly grasping a fork in his right hand.

"Let me ask you something...outsider. _How does it feel?_ Huh? To, um...revisit that kind of pain. Hmm?"

Buster grew unresponsive as he felt his blood starting to boil at the moment due to his statement.

"How does it feel to be left behind, forgotten, and abandoned?"

Buster briefly felt his left eye twitch at the moment due to those words. Derek instantly noticed it before resuming with his menacing smirk.

"I bet it hurt, didn't it? I bet it stabbed you in the heart until you can no longer feel it beating again."

Upon those words, Buster was instantly forced to picture himself as a little baby bunny in a medium basket crying from inside a dumpster into the heap of the empty night.

Eventually after that image, Buster slowly sent a cold glare to Derek as the gangs noticed and grew intimidated.

"Derek, stop it!" Babs shouted

But Derek remained ignorance and continued while noticing his gaze.

"You wanna know why your old man abandoned you? Huh? Because nobody wanted your ass. Nobody wanted to change your diaper everytime you shit in it. Nobody wanted to hear your bitchy little cry when you wanted a bottle." He said issuing a mockingly baby cry to the insult

Buster not only could hear the wails of himself as a baby throughout his own mind, but he could hear and feel the vein rapidly pumping like a heartbeat on his forehead ready to burst any moment as Derek resumed.

"If anything, you deserved what you got. Your father can be a drunk and your mother can start working as a prostituted whore for the rest of her life without having to deal with your sissy punk-ass."

Then, he felt the echoing sound of his lump mentally bursting before silence overtook the entire area. The feelings seems to go numb at the moment.

Instantly, with swift reflexes, Buster grabbed the fork and swiftly jammed the silver object on Derek's left hand.

"Fuck You!" Buster screeched while Derek screamed in pain.

While the gangs at the table instantly got up in total fright, Buster gripped the fork intensifying the pain and, as a result, releasing blood from the hand as Derek continuously screamed in pain.

Several students in the cafeteria screamed at the sight of this disturbing image as Buster kept his teeth gritted while keeping his grip on the fork.

Plucky and Hampton tried to get him off, but to no avail since Buster's grip was deeply strong. Eventually, three to four security guards came and was able to restrain him in handcuffs while a single guard removed the fork from Derek's hand. Derek yelped in pain due to the removal before instantly using a napkin to pressurize his wound.

Buster gazed him emotionlessly while the security guards took him away. Derek, however, started panting heavily before glaring hateful eyes at Buster.

Babs, Shirley, Fifi, Plucky, and Hampton were beyond shocked at this turn of event as Babs kept her gaze to Buster as he was being taken away.

* * *

Principal Bugs Bunny held the fork object in hand, observing the blood stains on it to Buster, who was seated opposite him. The handcuffs were removed from Buster as he sat silently with his gaze from Bugs. 

After Bugs swallowed a carrot, he spoke while gazing to Buster. Apparently, Buster was still keeping his gaze from him.

"Ya know, 'dis fork is used for eatin' food, _not_ stabbin'. With an act like dat, it's mostly interpreted as attempted murder. (pause) Care ta explain yerself on what happened in dat cafeteria?" He questioned

However, Buster grew unresponsive with his gaze still from Bugs, who took notice and sighed deeply, seeing that he has to answer his own question.

"Let me tell ya somethin' about impulse, kiddo. (pause) It's an involuntary reaction; a motivation of such to emotion. (pause) What I'm tryin' ta say is dat you must've did what you did out of impulse. Ya felt angry, not from da outside, but from da inside." He grew silence once again before sighing deeply in anticipation to his silence. "Look, Buster. I know about yer father."

Instantly, he got Buster's complete attention as he noticed and nodded in anticipation before resuming.

"Yeah. I know too. Look, you gotta open up to him."

Buster was about to speak when Bugs beat him to it.

"When you're good and ready." He replied as Buster closed his mouth. "But be sure dat you're ready. Okay? You gotta let go sometimes."

Buster stayed silence for a while, before Bugs dismissed him from the office.

However, when Buster left the office, he was greeted with frightened gazes from his fellow students. Of course, Buster didn't blame them at all once he took notice of their gazes. In his state of mind, the only person to blame besides himself and his estranged father was Derek. He pushed the issue on Buster's consciousness way too far for him to even bare.

Even Babs, Shirley, Fifi, Plucky, and Hampton were stunned by such reaction from Buster. But they had to remind themselves that they were there when the whole thing started and knew for a fact that it wasn't Buster's fault.

As soon as Buster was going to turn left of the next hall, Babs instantly caught up with him with anxiety in her eyes.

Buster gazed down at her in his somewhat half-emotionless gaze as Babs noticed, but tried not to show intimidation to it.

"You okay?" She asked softly

Babs almost expected Buster not to answer at first. But then, he replied in a soft tone.

"I'll be fine."

Then, he slowly waltzed passed her in the left hallway as she and other students watched him go.


	5. Asking Forgiveness

Chapter Five: **Asking Forgiveness**

* * *

Moments later, as it was nearing the end of school, Babs was going to her locker when Harold approached next to her, much to her startled surprise. 

"Harold? What--" She started

But Harold intervened, due to his stupefied expression.

"I'm sorry to have frightened you. But I-I heard what happened. Is he alright?" He asked

Babs almost issued a confused gaze to him before realizing whom he was referring to.

"You-You mean Buster?"

Harold nodded as Babs gazed away from him to the floor and sighed.

"He's fine. He--" She sighed again before speaking. "He's in a lot of stress right now. I-I don't even know where to begin."

Harold sternly gazed Babs for a moment in question.

"Begin what?" He asked

Babs grew silence, then spoke.

"I'm gonna go try again and talk to him."

Instantly, Harold shook his head before Babs continued.

"And-And--"

"Don't." Harold replied as Babs gazed him surprisingly.

"Why not?"

"Because you said yourself that he's in a lot of stress right now. You do this now, it's gonna do more harm than good."

"But I can't just let him beat himself up like this." She said, then issued a suspicious gaze to Harold, who noticed. "Which reminds me. Buster told me that he's angry over sixteen years in which involves you. Why?"

Harold kept his gaze to her for a minute in silence before sighing.

"It's, uh, complicated. I-I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because if I tell you, he'll find out, then you and Buster will have that same argument you both had in his burrow."

Babs issued a surprise gaze to Harold after that statement.

"How do you know we had an argument?" She questioned

"You're waterfowl friend informed me."

Babs paused in recognition to which he mentioned.

"Shirley."

Harold nodded as Babs gazed from him in disappointment, in which he noticed.

"Hey, before you go off on her about that, just remember that she made the right call for the right reason, simultaneously with Buster. Alright! (pause) Now he apologized to you for his outburst. But he wants you to stay off this for a while. That's all."

Babs issued a pleading gaze to Harold before speaking.

"But why? It's--"

"Nevermind why. Just please...do this favor for him just once, okay?"

Babs felt like shedding tears of shame for her strictly emotional boyfriend. But manages to restrain herself from doing so before nodding slightly in response as Harold smiled.

"Thank you." He said, softly

* * *

School has ended for today and it was beginning to start the early evening. But Buster didn't go home. Instead, he was seated in a fetal position by a tree in the forest, resting his chin on both his arms that were on top of his knees. 

Buster didn't seem to bother to head home. He was probably afraid that Harold or Babs would be there to try and cheer him up. But the last thing he wants anybody to do at this time is to cheer him up. Buster wanted to be alone now without anyone's presence at this point.

With that point being made, he started getting into thought on what Principal Bugs Bunny has mentioned. At one point, Bugs was right. Buster should talk to Harold when he's ready and not be forced into it like Babs was trying to do in order to help. But Buster wasn't ready for him. In his personal opinion, this was the person that abandoned him for sixteen years without any sort of communicative response to insure that he has called. Buster couldn't seem to understand why he should forgive a person who he hasn't seen for a decade and a half especially after dealing and coping with the fact that he has to take care of himself for parts of the years.

Buster shook the thoughts off for a while and exhaled deeply when he slowly moved his pupils to the left at the presence of a person, to his dismay, he was least expecting, standing halfway by the side of the tree.

Buster rolled his eyes a bit before speaking.

"Come to see me soak in my own emotions?" Buster asked, coolly

Harold heard him, but had his eyes closed for a while before speaking.

"No." He answered

"If it's to cheer me up, don't bother. I've had that reaction before."

Harold shook his head.

"No. Just here to talk."

"Hmph. I already told you to go to hell. As in, 'Get as far away from me as possible.' What's there to talk about other than the fact that you..." Buster stopped himself and grew silence to keep from speaking any further.

Harold turned his head a bit in notification to his silence.

"The fact that I what?"

Buster shook his head.

"Nothing."

Harold moved from his position and was behind Buster at the right side of the tree.

"It has to be something. Otherwise, you wouldn't have forked that kid."

"If anything, he deserved what he got." Buster said

Harold instantly took that statement as a quotation.

"See, now you're starting to sound like that kid."

Buster almost gazed him in anger after that remark, but refrained himself from doing so.

"Yea--How do you know? Huh? What, you...you-you followed me around like you did the first time? Or did Babs gave you the heads up?" He asked

Buster never meant to bring Babs up on the question. He'd apologized to her the first time for his outburst and already pleaded her to stay off the issue with him and Harold. But Buster couldn't help but wonder if Babs got back on that issue again.

"Neither. It was your principal who provided evidences of the incident on surveillance."

Buster scoffed.

"Figures."

"The question on my mind is: _Why'd you do it?_" Harold asked

Buster leaned his back to the tree and sighed deeply. He wanted to end this conversation immediately without any pressure on him at this point, trying his best to avoid his gaze.

"It was impulse. Okay?"

With his gaze from him, Harold grew surprised.

"Impulse?"

Buster slightly nodded.

"Yeah. I was verbally and abusively motivated by Derek and I reacted involuntarily."

"Out of impulse?"

Instantly, Buster groaned a bit in annoyance.

"Yes! Look, what are you--what are you doing here? Huh? What do you want?" He asked, finally gazing Harold from his position

Gazing Buster, Harold shrugged a bit.

"I just want to talk."

Buster scoffed incredulously.

"I got that part. Talk about what?" He asked, impatiently

"About why you're acting this way, son."

Briefly silence after that last word, Buster chuckled in amusement, much to Harold's surprise.

"What?" He wondered

"Son? You know, the mere thought that you said the word '_Son_' automatically gives you the rights to assume that you're actually my father."

For a moment, Harold grew silence in a bit of surprise by his statement as if Buster somewhat wants to forget about him.

"But I am."

Once again, Buster rolled his eyes, moving his gaze from him.

"Hmph. Some father. If you are, then why show up now and tell me you're my dad after many years? What are you actually here for? Love? Support? That's way past due."

"No. Just Forgiveness." He answered.

Instantly, Buster grew surprised by this and gazed him.

"Forgive--What?"

"I wanna make things right. All I want is your forgiveness."

Instantly, out of frustration, Buster got up and glared him angrily.

"My Forgiveness? Bullshit!" He viciously shouted his last part, which shot a surprise gaze from Harold to him. "After what you did, forgiveness is the last thing you'll ever get from me!"

Grimacing in anger, Harold got from his spot and glared Buster on.

"How dare you talk to me that way! I am your goddamn father!" He shouted his last statement

Buster snorted in amusement before speaking in a sarcastic tone.

"Really? Heh, Heh, Ha Ha Ha Ha! Ah Ha! Oh, my god. Isn't that a shock. (Serious tone) Well, _Dad_...tell me something: Where were you all those years when I was born? Huh? When I was growing up, you don't write, you don't call, and no-no freakin' telegrams. I didn't even see neither you nor my mother in a photo of me. Where were you?"

Before Harold could speak, Buster intervened in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, I know: Probably drinking your head off like...like a common drunk and smoking on some crack! Maybe heroin!"

"Son...!" He started before he was interrupted again.

"Or maybe...maybe jammed a syringe down your veins for the freakin' enjoyment of it until your lungs burst! That's probably why you weren't here, wasn't it?"

Instantly, Harold grasped Buster's ears and slammed him back first into the tree in sheer anger as Buster grunted in pain from the harsh impact.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" He shouted as Buster grew quiet and briefly stunned by this reaction

After a brief silence, Harold loosened himself and released the hold on Buster's ears, having him land on his feet.

As Buster stood, Harold loosened his glare for a minute and slowly moved from Buster's face before stopping and speaking.

"You wanna know what happened? Huh? Is that what is gonna take to end this insanity? (pause) Okay." He agreed before taking a deep breath and started. "After your mother gave birth to you, I was very thrilled to have my very first son. More than that, I was grateful."

Briefly silence, he lowered his gaze from Buster in sadness with his ears following his example and continued.

"But...the doctors have reported that she died five minutes after the birth."

Instantly, Buster slowly grew shock at this revelation.

"What?" He asked

Harold nodded before slowly gazing Buster.

"The doctors said it was the results of leukemia. (Sighed deeply) There was nothing that they could do."

Buster held his shocked expression before speaking.

"Wh--" He started before swallowing a bit of saliva. "Why-Why didn't you do anything about it?"

Harold grew unresponsive and threw his gaze from Buster.

Grimacing throughout his expression, Buster approached and grabbed his arm, forcing his dad to face him.

"Look at me!" He shouted as Harold slowly gazed him. "Why...didn't you do anything to help my mother?"

After a brief pause, he answered.

"I told you. There was nothing that the doctors could do...and there was nothing that _I_ could do." His voice broke upon his last statement

Buster grew shocked at this reaction before Harold spoke, while he listened.

"All I could do was watch her drift away from me; like a ghost vanishing into complete nothingness. I couldn't bare to face that tragedy again, so I had to give you up, hoping that you could be adopted and taken care of. Lord knows that I didn't have time to name you. I spent sixteen years of my entire life trying my deepest best to cope with her death, at the same time trying to get my life back in order."

Buster loosened his shocked expression before slowly releasing Harold's arm from his hand as he continued.

"After her death, my life hasn't been the same at all. And you're right. As a result, I've been drinking, real cigarette smoking, and other sorts of stuff I wasn't comfortable with."

"Dad..." Buster softly started, but Harold resumed.

"And--"

"Dad!" He shouted as Harold stopped and gazed Buster, who grew silence a bit and spoke. "Aside from all that, why didn't you come see me?"

Harold grew silence for a while before speaking.

"I was afraid to. Ashamed to for that matter."

Buster grew surprised by this as Harold noticed.

"Believe me, Buster. It took me every ounce of my preserved energy to-to try and unite with you, but after what has happened, I couldn't face my only son. I was dealing through too much at this moment."

Buster loosened his surprised gaze before speaking.

"So, what happened to you? Whe-Where did you go?"

"I was drafted to the navy. I, uh, retired after a decade." He said before rolling his right sleeve up, showing Buster a design on his shoulder. "That's a Navy Cross. Was given to me after three tours to Central America."

Harold rolled his sleeve back down as Buster gazed back at him in sadness.

Apparently, Buster felt he was on the verge of tears and felt that he should hold back. But he has been holding back for so long that he would want nothing more than to let go. So without hesitation, he unleashed his emotions and started sobbing as Harold shedded some tears himself before approaching towards Buster for embracement. Instantly, Buster embraced him in an emotional hug as Harold pats his back in reassurance.

"It's okay, son. I'm here now." He softly said as Buster cried the numerous tears from his eyes

Their hugs lasted like an eternity until the darkened night came viewing the night stars in the skies.


	6. Warning Derek

Chapter Six: **Warning Derek  
**

* * *

It's now Friday morning with only two days till Father's Day. And the school's students were going about their daily routines from rearranging lockers to conversing with others. 

Some of the students mainly forgot about what transpired in the school yesterday and the day before while some enjoy talking about it.

Babs was arranging her locker, awaiting her class. As soon as she closed her door, the sight of Derek's menacing face caught her eyes as he had his elbow on a locker with his left hand bandaged up courtesy of Buster.

"Hiya, Pink."

With her gaze from him, Babs rolled her eyes a bit in annoyance before speaking.

"What do you want, Derek?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a chat with my favorite girlfriend."

Babs instantly gazed him in surprise after that comment.

"What?"

"Oh, you didn't hear me?"

"No, I heard what you said. But where do you get off insinuating me as _your_ girlfriend?" She asked, fully turning to face him. "After what you did yesterday, do you honestly think that I would be considered your girlfriend? Huh? Do you-Do you really think that I'd be interested in _you_?"

Derek smirked.

"Oh, yeah."

Babs narrowed her eyes to a glare before slowing approaching him.

"You're an asshole, you know that? (Pause) You know what, I'm glad Buster forked you!"

From the mention of that, Derek loosens his smirk with a frown on his face and a look of anger in his eyes.

Instantly, Babs noticed it and pulled a mockingly surprised gaze.

"I'm sorry. Did I-Did I struck a nerve? Maybe then, you'll learn to keep your big yaps shut about something you don't know shit about."

After a brief silence, Derek scoffed.

"Is that right?"

Babs remained silent as Derek started to approach her ominously. Babs almost grew intimidated and started to move backwards from him.

But she flinches and turned around to find Buster behind her. Derek took notice of him right away with such hateful eyes in regards to what happened yesterday as Buster returned his gaze before gazing Babs.

"You okay?" He asked

Babs took a quick glance to Buster, then at Derek before speaking.

"Yeah." She answered before waltzing pass Buster and resumed towards the hall to her next class.

Buster and Derek kept their strong hateful glares towards each other for a while as the other students took notice of interest to it.

After what seemed like an eternity, Derek eventually spoke.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to my hand, long ears."

Buster, after a brief silence, eventually spoke.

"You got what you deserved. And if you ever...come anywhere near my girlfriend or play with my emotions again...your hand isn't gonna be the only thing I'm gonna fork up."

Derek's expression didn't change at all and neither did Buster's as he walked from Derek's sight and across the hallway to his next class, leaving Derek staring into an empty space.

* * *

Throughout the hours leading to lunch, the cafeteria was full of students, who usually enjoy their foods while conversing with others classmates. Other than that, the whole place was slightly quiet. 

Buster continuously chewed his food and swallowed with his gaze away from the others, who naturally chewed down on their foods.

Babs, after a brief moment, gazed Buster for a minute and couldn't help but notice that Buster has been chewing his food for quite a while.

"Buster?" She called softly

Buster grew unresponsive for a second before he jerked his head up in a slight startle after Babs' second call.

"Yeah?" He answered

"Y-You alright?"

Buster grew confused a bit before answering.

"Uh, Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

Babs grew silent for a minute with her gaze to Buster before speaking.

"Buster..." She started as Buster gazed her, awaiting her statement.

However, Babs noticed it and quickly had second thoughts about it before speaking.

"Nevermind." She said before resuming her meal eating

Apparently, Buster anticipated on what she was gonna say and decided to speak.

"I talked to him last night." He said

Babs gazed him in surprised as Buster noticed and slightly smiled.

"You did?"

Buster nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks for not getting involved. Appreciate it."

Babs slightly smiled as Buster continued.

"We, uh..." He started before clearing his throat a bit. "I think we, uh...buried the hatchet on our issues. (Shakes head) I don't know."

"You're having doubts?" Babs asked

Buster paused and sighed slightly.

"I don't know." He answered softly. "You know, I've spent sixteen years of my life here in Acme Acres without a father. Yet, I find out that I have one in the form of Harold."

He chuckled softly before speaking.

"Kinda unexpected."

Babs nodded softly.

"Yeah. Kinda."

Buster grew silent again before speaking.

"You know, when my dad revealed the fact that my mother died after my birth, part of me felt that I was responsible for that. (Pause) But he convinced me that it was the leukemia that did it."

Instantly, Buster has gotten Shirley, Plucky, Hampton, and Fifi's attention after that statement. Babs, however, kept silent in shock before speaking.

"Y--You're mother was on leukemia?" Babs asked

Buster nodded with his gaze from Babs.

"Yeah. But let's not talk about it now. Let's finish our meal."

With slight nods of agreement, Buster and the others continued their lunch. However, Buster was unaware that he was under the watchful glaring eyes of Derek and his two posses.


	7. To Forget, Not Forgive

Chapter Seven: **To Forget,**** Not Forgive**

* * *

Outside, as the bell rings to the indication of the school ending for the day, the double door opened and the crowds of students departed the school from the stairs and went their separate ways to their homes. 

Throughout the crowd, Buster exited the school, went down the stairs, and took a shortcut left towards home. He has informed Babs that he'll be walking alone for a while without her. But he wasn't mad at her. He already cleared that part up. He just needed the walk just to clear his head for a while, which wasn't hard to do on his part. However, as he passed the side of the school, he took notice of a coyote and a wolf in school clothing deviously watching him leave.

Buster ignored it and kept going, unaware of the fact that they started following him as soon as his back was turned.

As Buster was several feet's from the school and into the forest, he couldn't help but sense that someone was following him at the moment. So, without hesitation, he looked behind him and saw that no one was there.

But Buster was unconvinced by this. Yet, he has little time to play the hide-and-seek game. So, he turned around to resume his walk. But he instantly halted his pace, catching sight of a coyote in his school clothing, softly approaching his way with a menacing smirk on his face.

"Nice night for a walk, eh?" The coyote asked

Rather than answer him, Buster asked his own question.

"Why are you here, LJ?"

LJ, AKA Little Jones, 17 years of age, was one of Derek Coyote's lackey sort of speak. And like Derek, he too likes the idea of ridiculing others for their own pleasure. Because, to him, it makes him feel respected, which is what Derek gave him.

LJ halted his approach in front of Buster before speaking.

"We are here in regards to Derek."

Briefly silence, Buster nodded to the anticipation that Derek may have sent them.

"I see. And who is '_We?_'" He asked, to the indication that LJ was the only one there.

Unfortunately, he wasn't. In an instant, a 17-year-old grey wolf in school attires waltzed from behind a tree and stood by LJ.

"'_We_' are '_LJ and Tom_'."

Buster sighed deeply.

"Figures." He muttered. "Look, guys..."

"You know..." LJ started as he approached till he was inches from Buster's face. "We don't take too kindly to rabbits sticking fork down our friend's hand, let alone threatening him."

"Look, he bought this..."

"Shut up!" LJ shouted as Buster grew silence. "Now, you think you're tough shit, but in reality, you're not."

"Look, LJ, I don't got time for this. Now unless you got something to say to me beside talk about Derek, say it. Otherwise, get the hell outta my way."

Buster didn't even make it pass LJ, whom instantly, with both hands, shoved Buster down to the ground. Buster grunted and started to sit up as LJ and Tom approached casually towards him.

"You didn't say please, dipshit. You gonna learn to respect us. Come on, Tom. Let's kick his ass."

LJ made his way behind Buster, who shook his head of the brief dizziness and was starting to stand, and grabbed him from behind with his arms around his neck as Buster started choking to death with his tongue sticking out.

Tom added the insult to injury by continuously punching Buster's midsection, momentarily throwing a swing at his face. Buster grunts throughout each blow as he grits his teeth trying to keep from passing out. And with Tom rapidly punching his midsection, it was hard for him to struggle out of LJ's grasp.

Several feet's from their position, Harold was waltzing in the forest, in hopes to stop by his son's burrow, when he suddenly caught sight of a bullying in progress. But due to his distance, it was hard for him to find out whom they were bullying.

Instantly, he dashed over to the site.

"Hey! Leave that kid alone!" He shouted

LJ and Tom seized their brutal bullying and gazed over to find Harold dashing in their direction.

"Oh, shit. Let's get outta here!" LJ said

Immediately dropping the helpless Buster Bunny, who's motionless and breathing to the ground, they made a break for it away from the area.

As Harold made it to the site, he screeched to a halt and grew shocked when he saw Buster lying facedown on the ground.

"Oh, my god." He said

As he kneeled and turned Buster around, he saw that Buster was bleeding from the mouth and from the look of his midsection, it was like it took one heck of a beating courtesy of LJ and Tom. Nonetheless, Buster groaned in pain because of it including the bruise that was on his face and a black left eye.

Harold cradled Buster's head in his arms as Buster continued breathing and slowly opened his eyes.

His visions were slight blurs before momentarily coming into focus to find his father staring down at him in anxiety.

"Son? Son, are you okay?" He asked

Buster grew unresponsive as Harold wasted little time helping him up with his right arm over his shoulders.

* * *

Minutes Later, Buster was restfully laided on his bed inside his burrow as Harold gazed upon his son in sadness. Throughout the entire five minutes, he felt ashamed after what happened. Despite the fact that he knew the reasons for that incident, he still felt ashamed of himself for not being there for his son. 

"I'm so sorry, son." He softly said

As he continuously gazed his son, he grew briefly startled when Babs, Plucky, Shirley, and Hampton entered the burrow in worries for their friend.

Babs kneeled next to Buster while the others watched in concern.

"I came as soon as I heard." Babs started before gazing Harold. "Is he alright?"

Harold slightly nodded.

"He's fine. Just a black eye, bruise on midsection and face, but nothing serious."

Harold stopped with silence before shaking his head a bit with his gaze on Buster.

"If those boys would've went any further, my son wouldn't be alive right now. Dammit, I should've been there for him."

Babs grew silence with her worried gaze to Harold before placing a hand on his hand in reassurance.

"Harold..." She started as Harold gazed her. "You did the right thing. You hear me? Please don't ever think oppositely. You _are_ a good father."

After a brief silence, Harold smiled a bit.

"Thank you." He softly said

While this was going on, Plucky gazed down at Buster in total sadness simultaneously tensing his face in anger at the obvious cause of this incident.

Instantly, Plucky turned and made his way out the room as Hampton and Shirley took notice.

"Plucky? Plucky, where are you -- Where are you going!" Hampton shouted out, but got no reply

Babs gazed over to them in concern.

"What's wrong with Plucky? What's going on?" She asked

"I don't know. Look, you two stay here. We'll deal with him." Shirley said

Babs nodded in response as Shirley and Hampton made their way out the room leaving Babs and Harold alone with the restful Buster Bunny.

* * *

Plucky was walking at a fast pace in a heap of anger, carrying a baseball bat in his left hand. There was no words to describe what he would do to the guys that has beaten his best friend almost half to death, but whatever it is, in his personal opinion, they very much deserves it. 

Other than that, Plucky didn't get pretty far as he saw Shirley and Hampton stepping out from a nearby tree, blocking his path. But Plucky disregarded it and decided to waltz right through them.

However, Shirley and Hampton made it difficult by each halting his movement with their palms to his chest.

* * *

Back inside the burrow, both Babs and Harold continued watching over the resting Buster Bunny and not once leaving his sight. 

Suddenly, Babs gazed closer to Buster's face due to the brief groaning that was issuing from him.

Harold noticed and followed her example as Buster's eyes fluttered a bit from his sleepiness. As he softly opened his eyes, his vision grew blurred, then slightly came into focus to catch sight of Babs and Harold, who smiled in relief.

"Hi, Buster." Babs spoke in a soft tone

Buster mustered up the strength to smile before gazing towards Harold.

"How are you, son?" He asked, softly

Buster felt himself being able to take a deep breath before he spoke.

"A little better." He answered.

Then, he started to sit up, but Babs and Harold softly held him down to prevent him from getting up, which came of a surprise to Buster.

"Don't move, son. You're still a little hurt from that beating you got."

Buster swallowed saliva a bit, and then he loosened his body up to lay down on the bed.

"Babs, go get some ice for him, please."

Babs nodded and started out the door for the item.

Harold gazed from her departure to Buster's face.

"You sure you're okay, son?"

Buster slightly nodded.

"Yeah." He answered softly

Harold briefly looked down from Buster's gaze in shame.

Buster instantly noticed it with concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked

Harold hesitated a bit before speaking.

"Son...I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

Buster had little strength to shake his head before he noticed Babs coming in with two bags of ice. Harold took a single bag and placed it on Buster's left eye. Buster cringed at the coldness of it, then endured it before Babs went to work on consoling the midsection.

After that was done, Buster spoke.

"Thanks."

Babs and Harold nodded.

"Welcome." Babs answered

* * *

Back outside... 

"What's your hurry, Plucky?" Hampton asked

"Get outta my way! Both of you!" Plucky shouted

"So you can do what? Beat somebody to death with a bat?" Shirley assumed

"Those punks beat Buster almost half to death. So yeah... I'm gonna beat their asses to death with a bat! Now, move!"

But Plucky didn't get anywhere pass them as Hampton and Shirley both halted his position.

"Plucky, don't do this. Please!" Shirley pleaded

But Plucky disregarded it and start to waltz pass them, but Shirley and Hampton halted him again, which almost grew Plucky into irritation.

"Plucky, stop!" Hampton shouted. "Look, man. Buster is our friend too. You understand me? And I would want nothing more than for those punks to get what's coming to 'em. But what's you're gonna do right now, that's not gonna help."

"No, but it's gonna make me feel better." Plucky said

"Yeah, on the outside. On the inside, you'll, like, be feeling more guilty and ashamed like you've never been before. Do you want that?" Shirley asked

Deeply unfazed by the comment, Plucky instantly shoved Shirley aside.

"Get the fuck outta my way!" He said before waltzing pass Hampton, who gazed him in surprise.

"Plucky!" He called out

"I'm not turning around!" Plucky shouted, half a distance away

With an issued glare towards him, Shirley spoke.

"Yes, you are."

Her eyes glows a shimmering shade of purple psychic energy before she instantly extended her open left hand in Plucky's direction.

As Plucky resumed his walking, he felt himself being halted on the spot by the sheer force of psychic energy.

Plucky's expression grew of shock as he struggled to move, but to no avail.

"What the--" He started, then started struggling again

But it was still to no avail as the bat in his hand dropped to the ground.

With her glowing glaring eyes to Plucky, she rotated her hand counter-clockwise.

Her psychic energy reacted to that gesture by turning Plucky around to face them.

After that was done, she beckoned to him.

"Get back here!" She ordered

Her psychic energy responded by advancing Plucky towards their position. As soon as he was inches towards them, Shirley halted his stop by the palm of her hand as her psychic energy reacted on command.

Plucky, who was still binded in psychic energy, started struggling, but still to no avail.

"Let go of me!" Plucky shouted

Shirley slowly lowered her hands and slowly approached Plucky's position with her eyes still glowing to hold the bind on him.

She stopped inches to his face before speaking.

"Plucky...I love you very much. You know that." He said a bit softly before caressing her left hand on his green cheek. "Please, don't jeopardize that by going after those jerks."

Plucky felt himself growing tears in his eyes, but he refrained himself from doing so and simply spoke.

"It isn't fair. They beat the shit outta him and he didn't do anything to them."

Hampton approached Plucky's position before speaking.

"Plucky, you were there when Buster forked Derek's hand. Obviously, this is retaliation for what happened."

Despite his bind, Plucky managed to shake his head.

"No, it wasn't a retaliation; it was pure brutalization. Nobody deserves that!" He shouted his last statement

"You're right, Plucky! You are totally right! Buster and nobody else didn't deserve that. But if you really believe that you should take matters into your own hands by beating up a few guys..."

Then, the glow in her eyes faded, releasing Plucky from the bind as he fell to his hands and knees in front of Shirley, who gazed him down on him in pity.

"...Then maybe I fell in love with the wrong person." She softly said as Plucky slowly gazed from the ground to her in shock.

Then, she turned and left with Hampton following beside her, leaving Plucky down on his hands and knees.

Plucky watches them depart and was only left with his thoughts.

* * *

After six minutes, Buster and Harold were alone in the room while Babs was sent to dispose of the ice packs that healed Buster's bruises. 

Harold was still seated on the bed while Buster lies comfortably on his bed.

After a minute of silence, Harold finally spoke.

"How's the bruises doing, son?" He asked

Buster smiled a bit and spoke.

"They're healing naturally."

Harold nodded.

"Good to hear."

Buster grew silence with his gaze from Harold before speaking.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes, son?"

Buster slowly gazed Harold.

"Before I say thank you, I want to say a few things to you."

Harold nodded and awaited Buster's statements.

Buster sighed a bit before starting.

However, both were unaware that Babs was listening in on the conversation by the door that's next to the kitchen door, when she was about to enter.

"First of all, I'm glad you sent Babs out so we can talk in private. Secondly, I want to say that, um, I wish that I had the power to forgive you. But...the truth of the matter is that I don't. Which is why I could only forget and not forgive."

Harold gazed down from him in shame as Buster took notice of it.

"Look, I'm sorry."

With his gaze from Buster, Harold shook his head.

"No. It's okay. I, um... I understand now that forgiveness can never be given back after sixteen years. The only way for us to go is to forget the whole thing and, um..." He trailed off and cleared his throat a bit before continuing. "...move on."

After a brief silence, Buster gazed his pupils down a bit and nodded.

"Yeah." He said, softly

Then, Buster gazed Harold, who eventually came eye to eye with his son, and smiled slightly.

"And finally, thank you."

Harold smiled and slightly nodded.

"You're welcome."

Outside the room, after hearing their heartwarming conversation, Babs started to shed tears of happiness and joy for the both of them.

As she wiped the tears from her eyes, she was about to enter the room when she stopped and looked up to see Hampton and Shirley climbing down the ladder into the burrow.

Babs approached their position and stopped in front of them.

"You caught up with him?" She asked

Shirley nodded.

"Yeah."

"Where is he?" She asked

"In the forest. I, uh...gave him something to think about before we left his sight."

"Is he okay?"

Hampton nodded.

"Yeah. He'll be okay."

Babs issued a sigh of relief.

"Good."

All grew silence before Shirley spoke.

"How's Buster coming along?" She asked

Babs grew silence, then spoke.

"He's healing naturally."

Hampton nodded.

"Good to hear."

Babs nodded, then gazed down from them and smiled at the knowledge that Buster and Harold's relationship, despite forgiveness, is gonna turn out fine.

* * *

Plucky made his way home and sat on the couch alone after that unusual confrontation between him, Shirley and Hampton. 

Throughout the minutes, he thought about going after the two individuals, namely LJ and Tom, who nearly beaten his best friend to a pulp. But then thought about what Shirley has said and soon realized that if he did what he said he would do, then their relationship would be at stake.

In his mind, Plucky would want nothing more than to take care of business with the two individuals involved in that beating.

But in his steady beating heart, Plucky didn't want a rising relationship to end over a vendetta at the benefit of a friend.

Plucky was caught between two choices, but yet, he stayed home seated on his couch drenching in his own emotions.

Plucky sighed deeply and was about to drift off into sleep when the phone on the desk started ringing.

After two rings, Plucky answered it.

"Hello?" He answered in a soft tone of voice

"_Hey, Pluckster._" A voice said from the phone

Plucky smiled at the recognition of the voice.

"How are ya, blue ears?"

Buster snickered from the phone and spoke.

"_I'm fine. You?_"

Briefly silence, Plucky spoke.

"I'm getting there."

After a long silence, Buster eventually spoke.

"_Look, Plucky...I love ya, man. You're the bestest friend a rabbit could ever have. Which is why I'm glad you didn't stick up for me. I appreciate it, bro._"

Plucky stayed silence for a while, then nodded.

"You're welcome."

"_You know, if I were there, I'd smooth you._"

Plucky chuckled a bit.

"Don't flatter yourself."

After a few chuckles, Buster spoke from the phone.

"_You're gonna be okay, man?_"

Briefly silence with a smile, Plucky spoke.

"Yeah. I'll be okay."

Silence, Buster spoke from the phone.

"_Okay. Have a godd night, pal._"

Plucky slightly nodded.

"Good night, pal."

After they both said their goodbyes, Plucky hung up the phone and lies his head on the left arm of the couch before drifting to sleep.


	8. Bonding and a Promise

Chapter Eight: **Bonding and a Promise**

* * *

It was now Saturday in the late morning leading to the afternoon. Just one day before Father's Day. 

While the sun shines over the horizon, many kids started to enjoy their weekend whether by going for a walk or riding in cars with their parents and such.

Elsewhere, Buster and Harold were walking alone in the forest conversing with each other.

Every once and a while, Buster starts chuckling whenever Harold jesters about his time at a bar, which is good to get him in a good spirit.

Most of the time,he questions his time in the Navy and Harold didn't mind telling him about that when it came to Buster's interest in some brief war stories.

Momentarily, after he was done in complete detail, Buster grew of shock. But calmed down a bit before swallowing saliva.

"So...did-did you and your crew make it out alive?" He asked

With his gaze forward and with a bit of silence, Harold spoke.

"Some. But not many." Harold answered

Briefly silence, Buster gazed forward with the shocked expression glued on his face.

"Wow. You know, to be honest, I never thought wars like that could be so intense. Let alone graphic."

Harold shrugged.

"Well, son, if you've been in my place, you would know stuff."

Buster gazed at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. It takes a little, um...intuition to know wars and battles."

"So you're saying that intuition is a way to know stuff?"

"Exactly. If you learn it once in a while in your older age."

Buster nodded.

"Oh."

Both were silence for a while before Harold spoke.

"So, uh...Father's Day is tomorrow and we got a lot of time to kill so...what do you want to do today?"

Both Buster and Harold halted their pace asthe blue bunnygot into thought of what they should do for today.

After a while, he gazed Harold with a smile.

"How 'bout something that's in my line of work."

Harold gazed him and creased his left brow curiously.

"Any line of work that you have in mind, son?"

In response, Buster issued a cocky chuckle.

* * *

Minutes Later, Father's Day seemingly comes early as they both engaged in a mutual father and son bonding by getting into an activity of Buster's line of work.

His line of work consists of football, water gun fights, and such.

Momentarily about twenty-five minutes later while this was going on, Babs, Plucky, Hampton, Furrball, Shirley, Fifi, and Binky were watching this beautiful display and smiled upon this.

"Son, go long!" Harold shouted

Buster smiled and started retreating backwards while keeping his eyes on Harold and the ball in his grasp.

Instantly, he got his hands ready for the taking.

"I'm open, dad!" Buster shouted back

Harold smirked when he noticed that Buster was heading in Babs' direction. Without hesitation, he threw the ball with enormous strength and speed.

As the ball spins and soared in the air, Buster saw it and started running to trace the ball's landing position. While running, he started panting heavily.

"I got it. I got it." He said

When the others noticed where the ball was gonna land, Babs rubbed her chin cleverly with a devious smirk on her face before she instructed the others to step aside to apply more room.

Buster continues his running with his gaze to the ball.

But just when he was inches from catching it in his grasp, Babs stepped in and stuck her leg out instantly having Buster tripping over it.

His body soared up.

"Whoa!"

Then, in cartoon-style, his whole body hits flat on the ground.

"Oof!"

Babs stepped in and caught the ball in her grasp. Afterwards, she chuckled.

"Works every time." She said to herself

Then, she turned around and went over to Buster, who groaned a bit. As he slowly got up, half of his body popped back into full shape while he tries to pull his head from the ground like rubber.

As soon as he got his head from the ground, he grew dazed for a second.

"You okay, blue ears?" Babs asked

Taking his left arm, Babs helped Buster to his two rabbit feet's as he shook the dizziness from his head before gazing around in confusion.

"What happened? Did I get the ball?"

Babs answered that question by gesturing the ball to Buster indicating to him that she had it.

After gazing the ball, Buster gazed Babs suspiciously.

"Did you trip me?" He asked

Babs smiled.

"You should watch where you're going?" She said softly

Buster gazed from her after a brief silence and nodded.

"Good point."

While Babs went over and talked with the others, Buster turned around and started to waltz in Harold's direction. But stopped when he sawhis fatherapproaching him with a smile on his face.

"You alright, son?"

Before Buster spoke, he got into a devious thought before speaking to Harold.

"Uno momento. Oh, Babs!"

"Yes!" Babs smugly responded

As she turned around, she stopped with her mouth open as she was met with a squirt gun pointed at her face.

Instantly, Buster depressed the trigger and a stream of water washed over Babs' face.

Literally soaked and wet, Babs stood there with annoyance on her face as Buster twirled the gun in hand and blew at the tip of it before holstering it in his pocket.

"Gotcha!" Buster said

Instantly, Babs got to his face, gritting her teeth with anger and death written on her face.

"Why, you little--!" She started before Shirley and Fifi grasped and pulled her away from Buster.

While they were trying to calm her down, Harold approached Buster in confusion whilehis sonkept his gaze in Babs' direction.

"Is, uh...is she always like that?"

Buster nodded.

"Some of the time."

After what seems like two minutes, Babs instantly fought from Shirley and Fifi's grasp and raised her hands up defenselessly before they could advance onto her.

"I'm alright! I'm okay!"

"You sure?" Shirley asked

Lowering her hands, Babs nodded.

"Yeah."

Babs turned and approached towards Buster. Then, stopped inches from him before crossing her arms and nodding.

"Okay. I guess I deserve that."

Buster nodded in agreement before, to his surprise, Babs' instantly pressed her finger to his chest ominously.

"But...do it again, and..."

"Babs."

"N-Shh! Do it again...and you and me gonna have it. Got that?"

Buster nodded in response.

Babs smiled.

"Good." She said before gently slapping Buster on the cheek.

As she waltzed to the others, Harold gazed in Babs' direction in surprise before speaking to Buster.

"You let her talk to you like that, son?"

"Huh. No. But...you don't know Babs."

Harold gazed to Buster with disbelief before passing the excuse off.

"Ah. I won't hear of it. It's about time that you step up, boy."

Slowly, Buster gazed his father in surprise.

"Step up? Wha-What are you talking about?"

But Harold didn't answer him for he approached the others.

"Hey, everyone!"

Babs and the others gazed at Harold while Buster watched with interest.

"Why don't we play a little game that_I_ learned in boot camp when I was a kid. Now, originally, we issued for paintball gun fights."

When he gazed behind him at Buster, he issued a smirk before speaking.

"But...we'll go for a water gun fight courtesy of my son, Buster. And I'll be your coach. How about it?"

Babs and the others cheered on in response as Buster grew shocked by this and approached Harold.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold up! Hold up!" He said as Harold, Babs and the others gazed him. "I didn't agree to this. (To Harold) Look, when I said that you don't know Babs because of the way she's acting doesn't necessarily mean that I want to prove something to her by challenging her."

When he finished, he expected a word out of someone, yet no one spoke and grew silence.

Buster literally got the idea and snickered in defeat.

"But what the heck, it sounds like fun. So I'm in."

Babs and the others cheered in response.

A few minutes later, Harold started assembling them into separated formation. Specifically, Buster, Plucky, Hampton, and Furrball on the far left and the girls on the far right. Each was equipped with water guns and wore belt buckles with water balloons passing themselves off as grenades.

Harold, who's dressed in army attire, was in the middle, slowly pacing with his eyes closed.

"Alright, you retched boys and girls! Your primary objective is simple! You are to spot and neutralize the enemy whether by tree or by bush. The first to be neutralized will be dispatched from the game immediately. Is that understood?" He finished in a deep, grunted voice.

"Sir! Yes, sir!" They all said, unisonly

Harold smiled.

"Begin!" He shouted

Instantly, the separated formations dashed away from the spot leaving Harold and a cloud of dust behind.

With Harold watching, the boys and the girls were playing it off in war-like fashion. Shooting at each other when spotted, shouting commands like soldiers and evading water projectiles from opposing opponents.

Harold chuckled at this. This definitely brings back memories of his troops and such. He also chuckled at the thought that if his son and his friends, namely, Plucky, Hampton, and Furrball, were in his and his troops position; they would make great and noble Navy SEALS. Yet, it'll take years for that to happen.

After what seems like twenty minutes of fun, Harold, Buster, and the others decided to take a rest by the tree in the forest while chattering and laughing among themselves, less paying attention to many humans and toons striding along the forest ground.

"You know, that was kinda fun." Babs complimented

Harold gazed her and smiled.

"Was it?"

Babs nodded.

"Yeah. We should do it more often."

"Heh! We have done it more often, Babsy." Buster said

Babs gazed him.

"Yeah. _Me and you have_." She said before shaking her head. "Not all of us."

Buster shrugged a bit.

"Oh."

While they resume their joyous conversations, Plucky heard laughing in the distance and gazed over to find, to his sheer dismay, the sight of Derek along with LJ and Tom, possibly laughing pleasurably about the incident they caused yesterday.

Plucky narrowed his eyes, glaring at the two individuals believed to be involved in his friend's beating. But had to remind himself that personal vendetta wasn't going to be an issue.

He shook his head and sighed deeply as Buster, who sat beside him, took notice of his expression.

"Plucky?"

Instantly, Plucky gazed him.

"You okay?" He asked

Plucky hesitated briefly and spoke.

"Um..." He started before clearing his throat a bit. "Y-Yeah. I'm okay."

Buster nodded, but grew unconvinced as he gazed to where Plucky was looking at. When he caught sight of Derek and his two lackeys heading his way from the far distance, he rolled his eyes before laying his back against the tree.

"No." He said

Harold gazed him in concern.

"Son, what's wrong?" He asked

Buster needn't speak for Harold heard an unpleasant voice from the far distance. As he gazed in that direction, he caught sight of Derek, LJ, and Tom pointing and laughing in their direction a couple of feets away.

While Harold kept his gaze to them, the others took notice of this.

Babs grimaced in annoyance while Binky shook her head.

"Oh, crap." Babs said

"I mean, don't these guys have anything better to do than to ridicule the first person they see?" Binky asked

Fifi shook her head.

"Zey just stink as bullies. Zat's all."

Shirley nodded.

"Like, for sure."

In contempt, Furrball shook his head.

"Especially that jerk, Derek. I mean, who does he think he is beating on our friend like that?"

"Furrball, Furrball! Calm down." Babs said after noticing his contemption

Furrball calmed himself a little and spoke.

"Sorry. But they had no rights."

Babs nodded in agreement.

"I know."

"Hey, blue ears!" LJ calling from the distance, yet Buster kept his eyes closed leaving his ears to hear. "Who you got with ya, the drunken father?"

Harold grew deeply offended by that, but disregarded it and gazed Buster.

"Don't mind them, son."

"I don't." Buster said. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

Harold smiled before gazing over in Derek's direction to find him and his friend's resuming their ridiculing gesture towards them.

Furrball shook his head in annoyance before getting up from his spot.

Babs noticed and halted him down.

"Where are you going?" She asked

Furrball gazed her and grew silence a bit before speaking.

"Relax. I'll be okay."

Babs grew silence with his gaze to him before slowly releasing his arm from her grasp.

As Furrball passed the others, Harold took notice of this before gazing Babs.

"Where is he going?" Harold asked

Meanwhile, Derek, LJ, and Tom halted their laughter when they noticed Furrball approaching their way.

"Oh, look at this." Derek stated as Furrball halted his pace inches from them. "The little pussy cat, except for the pussy."

Derek, LJ, and Tom laughed hysterically as Furrball disregarded the ridicule before speaking.

"You know, you talk about getting respected around the school. But, at the rate you're going with your posses, you're never gonna get any."

Derek slowly approached him till he was inches from his face. His menacing eyes glaring down at the cat, yet Furrball stood unflinching.

"Strong words coming from a feline who lives in a trash can. Matter of fact, why don't you go back to your trash hole while you're still breathing, brah."

Derek backed up from him as the menacing LJ and Tom approached and halted in front of Furrball.

"Yeah." They both said, unisonly

Furrball glared LJ and Tom each before nodding.

From the tree, Harold took notice of Furrball turning to leave as he closed his eyes in relief.

Meanwhile, Furrball was only inches from leaving their sight when he stopped in his track.

"Oh, LJ and Tom..."

LJ and Tom approached behind the feline with disinterest on their faces.

"What?" LJ answered

With his back to them, Furrball issued a smirk on his face and unleashed his sharp claws from his left hand's fingertips without their notice.

"This...is for Buster."

Quickly turning around, he issued a hard swipe to LJ's right face cheek followed by a back swipe to Tom's right face cheek before both of them fell to the ground.

Derek grew bitterly shocked by this as LJ and Tom wailed in pain while caressing the bloody claw marks on their faces.

Furrball gazed down at them emotionlessly before turning around and leaving their sight.

Harold and the others grew shocked by this and as soon as Furrball got back and sat down next to Babs, Binky spoke.

"What was that?" Binky asked

Furrball pressed a finger on his palm before his claws retracted back into his fingertips. Afterwards, he spoke.

"Nothing. Just gave LJ and Tom each a tattoo."

Fifi groaned and spoke.

"I thought you said zat you were okay."

"I was."

"Bull squat!" Binky said

"You know, zis is what got monsieur Buster in zis mess in zee first place. You wanna end up like him, Furrball?"

Furrball grimaced a bit and spoke.

"No. But like I said, they had no right."

"I agree with you. But still. Violence isn't gonna be an issue. The best you can do is ignore these guys and eventually they'll stop." Babs said

As Babs and Furrball both talked at once on the subject, which will almost lead to an argument, Harold whistled to halt them from talking before speaking.

"Look, let's just forget about what happened and enjoy this day, okay?"

Babs and Furrball gazed each other and nodded in agreement as Harold smiled.

* * *

A few hours later, Buster and Harold descended the ladder in the burrow, then started walking the corridor towards the door while conversing along the way.

"I gotta tell ya, dad. _That_ was the best experience a rabbit could ever have."

Harold snickered lightheartedly.

"Thanks."

"So, what was it that you wanted to show me?" Buster asked

Harold gazed him silently with a sudden frown on his face as they both stopped next to the front door.

Harold opened the door as he and Buster entered the room.

As Buster closed the door behind them, Harold approached towards the drawer.

Momentarily, while he gazed the drawer, Buster met up with him in front of the drawer before Harold reached out and opened the top drawer.

As he did, Buster and Harold gazed down at a white cloth, which covered an item, up top of an assortment of clothes.

Buster grew confused by this and spoke.

"Uh, this-this is what you wanted to show me?" He asked

However, Harold grew unresponsive with a frown still on his face before reaching down and picking up the item with both hands. As he did, the item felt a bit heavy and yet, cold behind the cloth.

Buster remained quiet as Harold slowly unveils the cloth from the item to reveal, tohis son'sshock, a baretta pistol.

The design on the gun was military standard issued yet it felt cold in Harold's hands due to the fact that it was never fired upon anything in years.

While Harold gazed the gun, Buster swallowed saliva a bit before speaking.

"Dad, that-that's a gun."

After a while of silence, Harold nodded.

"Yeah. It's my baretta. Military standard-issue. I secretly kept it here so no one else would notice."

Briefly, Buster grew uncomfortable at the sight of this before speaking.

"Why-Why are you showing me this?"

Sighing deeply, Harold spoke with his gaze from Buster.

"Because I want you to know that if anything happens to me in any way, I do not want you to carry this weapon at all. I emptied this gun after I was done with the Navy so it could never be in use again."

Then, he gazed Buster, who returned the look, and spoke.

"It still is empty, son. And I tend to keep it this way. So I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, you will not...use this gun."

Harold expected an answer from Buster, but all he got was pure silence from his son.

"Son..." Harold called

Instantly, Buster snapped out of his trance and blinked his eyes a bit.

"Promise me."

Once again, Buster grew silence, gazing the gun, then at Harold before nodding.

"Okay, dad. I...I promise." He said, softly

Harold smiled before wrapping the gun back in its cloth, placing it in the drawer, and closing it shut. After that was done, he took notice of Buster gazing at the drawer in his surprised state.

"Son?"

Buster gazed Harold.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

Buster hesitated a bit and spoke.

"Uh, y-yeah. I'm...I'm fine, I think."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm-I'm just a little surprised, that's all."

Harold snickered a bit and spoke.

"Well, you don't have to worry. Because like I said, the gun is empty."

Momentarily, they turned from the drawer and walked towards the bed.

"I know, I know. I'm just uncomfortable with the whole thing. I mean, what if somebody finds it and eventually uses it?"

Harold shook his head.

"They won't. Like I said, gun's empty."

Briefly silence, Buster sighed a bit and nodded.

"Yeah. Maybe you're right."

Harold nodded as they both sat on the end of the bed conversing with each other some more and enjoying their day as usual.

* * *

During the late afternoon, Furrball and Fifi were waltzing the paved sidewalk, heading towards the designated alleyway where hesupposedly lives in.

It grew complicated at first, but Furrball and Fifi knew which alleyway to go to.

During their walk, they started conversing on what they should get for their dad's for tomorrow's Father's Day. When Fifi told him what she was getting for her father, Furrball grew a bit confused, but hid his expression with a nod of his head.

"That's a very nice gift for your dad."

Fifi gazed him and smiled.

"Merci. You know, zat iz zee same thing Hampton said."

Meeting her gaze, Furrball spoke.

"Really?"

"Oui. So, uh, what are you getting for _your_ father?" She asked

After a bit of thought, Furrball shrugged.

"I don't know. Probably something he would really enjoy."

Silence, Fifi nodded and gazed forward.

"Zat's nice."

Furrball gazed forward as they started to turn the alleyway towards his intended home. However, when they turned in that direction, they halted their tracks in fright at the sight that's in front of them.


	9. Asking For Help

Chapter Nine: **Asking for Help

* * *

**

(A/N: The text in '**Bold' **is issued for flashback sequences.) **

* * *

**

An hour and twenty minutes has passed as Buster sat in his room patiently awaiting Harold's return.

After a while, Harold entered the room and closed the door behind him with his foot while carrying two glasses of carrot juice in both his hands.

Buster noticed and smiled.

"That was quick." He said

As he approached the bed, Harold scoffed a bit and spoke.

"It didn't take that long."

Both chuckled inwardly as Harold sat down on the edge of the bed while handing the glass to Buster.

Buster took it and sipped the juice while Harold followed suit.

Buster cringed a bit from the sour taste of it before speaking.

"Oh, man."

Harold gazed him.

"What?"

Clearing his throat a bit, Buster spoke.

"It's a bit sour. What'd you put in it?"

Harold gazed from him and smirked while putting the glass of carrot juice inches from his lips.

"That, my son, is my little secret."

Buster gazed him and spoke.

"Your little secret?"

Harold nodded in response and sipped his drink.

After a while of silence, Buster gazed from him and exhaled a bit. After a second of silence, he gazed his father with an expression of interest.

"What's the secret?" He asked

Gazing Buster, Harold studied his son's expression before smirking.

"If you don't know, I'm certainly not gonna tell you."

Buster grimaced a bit and spoke.

"Oh, come on."

Silence, Harold gazed from Buster and sighed deeply before speaking.

"Look, son. Part of making a good meal is to have secrets."

He gazed Buster and resumed.

"I have secrets to my recipe. Chefs in the workplace all have secret recipes that they, above all, should keep to themselves. So..." He placed a hand on Buster's right shoulder and resumed. "...If you wanna know the secret to this drink, you're gonna have to learn that on your own."

Silence a bit, Buster slightly nodded as Harold patted him on the shoulder.

Suddenly, the phone ranged as Harold got up to answer it while Buster got into thought on what was said to him.

"Hello?" He answered.

As he listened on the line, his expression slowly grew in anxiety on what he just heard.

"Hold on. What?" He asked

Buster gazed over to Harold and took note of his expression in interest.

When Harold got his answer on the phone, he closed his eyes in sadness before speaking.

"Oh, my God." He said softly before speaking. "Okay. Look, we'll-no, do not go anywhere. We'll be right there. Bye."

As he hung up the phone, he went to get his coat while Buster noticed in confusion.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Get your coat, son." He ordered

"Why, what's--"

"Do as I say, please."

Instantly, Buster got up and placed his coat on. Harold was almost to the door, when Buster quickly halted him by the left shoulder.

Slowly, with an expression of sadness, he looked into the eyes of his anxious son while Buster gazed him in question.

"What happened?"

Harold stayed silence for a while before telling Buster the dreadful news.

* * *

Nurses and doctors were scattered around the corridor of the hospital attending to their work while Buster and Harold, who arrived thirty minutes later, were in a quick pace towards the patient's room. 

It wasn't long before they spotted Babs, Shirley, Plucky, Hampton, and Binky by the door of the patient's room.

When Babs and the others caught sight of them, they ran up to them, prompting both Harold and Buster to stop their pace.

Instantly, Babs embraced Buster, who returned the embrace, as tears flooded her eyes.

Releasing the embrace, Buster looked into her teary eyes and spoke.

"Is he okay? Is Furrball okay?" He asked

Babs shook her head a bit.

"I don't know." She said with her breaking voice as she sniffed up the tears before resuming. "They wouldn't let us in. Fifi's the only one in there since she was the only one with him."

Slowly moving his gaze from Babs' eyes towards the doorway of the patient's room, Buster releases the soft hold on her and slowly started over to the area of the patient's room literally passing a couple of working doctors in the area.

However, before he was inches towards the area, the door opened and a doctor, who's a wolf with a white trench coat on, gray hair between his ears and glasses on eyes, walked out the room, closing the door afterward.

Buster halted himself in front of the doctor, who followed suit.

Silence overtook them before Harold and the others approached and stopped behind the blue bunny, each with looks of anxiety for the condition of their friend.

The doctor, whose expression was in sadness, took a deep breath before starting.

"We've been able to contain the blood from the wound, but...the bullet has fractured his spine. It'll be hard for him to breathe at this moment. So we'll have to operate to remove the bullet and repair the spine." He gazed down from them, oblivious to the fact that Fifi was out of the patient's room a few feet from the doctor and overhearing everything. "However, it'll come at an expensive price to begin the procedure."

Fifi was in disbelief at what she was hearing before her face tensed in anger at the same time her eyes were in tears.

"Price?" She asked softly

The others took notice of this before Babs spoke.

"Fifi..."

"Price!" She shouted as the doctor turned and gazed her with the same expression on his face.

Babs ran up to her to try and calm her down. While that happened, Fifi resumed.

"Furrball was shot to death! You should help him now!"

"Fifi, that's enough!" Babs shouted, but Fifi ignored it.

"No price is worth his life!" She bellowed once, and then yelled out a second time as her pink friend tries to escort her away from the doctor, who gazed down once again in sadness.

Harold signaled for Shirley and Binky to aid Babs with Fifi as they nodded and carried on the ordeal.

The boys, especially Hampton, felt extremely sorry for Fifi before Buster turned his attention back to the doctor, who gazed him upon notice.

"I'm truly sorry." The doctor apologized before Buster nodded in response.

"How much is the surgery?" He asked softly

"A little over thirty-five hundred dollars."

Buster gazed from him a bit and nodded before looking up at him again.

"Would you take a check?" He asked

While the doctor nodded in response, Harold and the boys each gazed Buster in surprise after that comment, then threw their surprised gaze at each other in question.

* * *

Meanwhile, Babs, who tried to no avail to calm her down, eventually got Fifi into a private empty maintenance room. 

Eventually, Fifi shook herself from Babs' grasp in anger.

"Let go of me!" She shouted

"Fifi, calm down!"

To Babs' shock, Fifi, with her teeth clenched in anger, turned around and glared at her before pointing her finger in the pink bunny's face.

"Don't you dare tell moi to calm down!"

Instantly, Babs sent a hard left slap to Fifi's face.

Fifi gasped in shock after the impact before softly caressing her right cheek. Then, she gazed Babs with the same expression on her face before speaking.

"You...hit me?"

Ignoring her question with a soft glare to her, Babs spoke.

"If you ever point your finger at me again, the left cheek is next. Do you understand me?" She briefly shouted on her last statement

Unresponsive with an angry look on her face, Fifi slowly stood up with the utmost intention of retaliating with a slap of her own. But she managed to refrain herself from doing so before Babs spoke.

"Now, look, I am just as much shocked and worried about Furrball as you are right now."

Fifi nodded bitterly and spoke.

"Yeah, but 'zee doctor don't, as according to charging for surgery."

"Oh, for God's sakes, Feef! You..." She stopped as she partially rubbed her ears back and sighed deeply before speaking. "If you...If-If you worked in a hospital 24/7, then you should know that surgeries are high-priced. Okay, that's their job. They don't do this shit for free and you of all people should know that!"

Unresponsive, Fifi loosened her angry look, gazed away from her and turned around with her back to Babs. Momentarily, she was in tears and touching her forehead with her left hand before speaking.

"I'm sorry, Babs. But it's just..." She stopped and sniffed up the tears to refrain herself from crying before speaking. "It's just zat when we turned zat alleyway, zee first thing zat we saw was a gun pointed in our direction."

* * *

_One Hour and Twenty Minutes Earlier - Alleyway_

**As Furrball and Fifi turned the corner of the alleyway, they halted their walk and gasped in shock and fear as a mysterious masked mugger met them at gunpoint.**

* * *

Babs gazed down from her feature in recognition to what she meant. 

"The mugger."

"Oui." Fifi said

As she resumed, her voice trembled from the experience of the incident.

* * *

**The mugger kept them at gunpoint before speaking. **

**"Gimme your money, both of you, now!" His voice echoed**

**"_The mugger wanted our money, both of our money. And-And we would cooperate by giving it to him._"**

**Slowly, Furrball reached for his wallet while Fifi, who was following suit, briefly shivered in fear for their lives.**

* * *

Fifi was in silence before speaking. 

"But, before Furrball could exchange zee money, he was being a brave little kitty."

Babs nodded comprehensively and spoke.

"So they fought."

Fifi nodded softly and spoke.

"Oui."

* * *

**Furrball dropped the wallet to the ground before the mugger went for it. **

**Suddenly, Furrball unleashed the claws on his right hand and swiped at the mugger's left cheek.**

**As the mugger yelped in pain with the gun in his left hand, Furrball quickly grabbed his left arm in hopes to get the gun from his hand.**

**But the mugger quickly regained himself, then grabbed Furrball's arms, and started struggling along with him.**

**Fifi grew in fear as she cowered to the side for safety while Furrball and the mugger struggled.**

**Momentarily, Furrball got the guy up against the wall in hopes to get the gun off his hand, but instead, it fired three shots from each attempts as Fifi cringed in fear from each fired projectile.**

**"_Furrball struggled to get zee gun away from the mugger literally forcing him to fire a few shots_."**

* * *

Fifi's tears began to resurface due to the memory of that event. 

"Eventually, zee mugger fought him off and threw him to zee ground. When he was done, he went for Furrball's wallet."

Babs gazed at her in question.

"And then?"

"And Zen..." Fifi stopped and sniffed up the flowing tears before resuming. "I got involved."

* * *

**While Furrball was down to the ground, the mugger went for the wallet. **

**Fifi noticed and, in a courageous effort, ran towards the mugger's position to retrieve the wallet.**

**"_I tried to stop zee mugger from taking his money, which he intends to use for a Father's Day gift, but zee mugger slapped me off_."**

**The mugger quickly noticed and back-slapped her across the face. The physical attack alone literally got her to the ground.**

* * *

Fifi's tears resurfaced once again before her trembling voice spoke. 

"Zen, he pointed zee-zee gun at moi and was going to shoot until..." She stopped and started softly sobbing a bit before resuming.

Grinning evilly, the mugger had the gun trained on Fifi, whose eyes widened in fear.

"...Until Furrball got in zee line of fire."

* * *

**Suddenly, Furrball came and guarded Fifi in a protective hug with his back to the mugger before the gun instantly fired, hitting him in the back.**

* * *

Fifi could mentally hear the single gunshot ringing in her head from that incident, which caused her to flinch a bit. 

While Fifi softly sobbed from the experience, Babs grew in shock after hearing that dreadful story before slowly looking down from her skunkish friend's feature.

"Oh, my God."

After a while of silence, Fifi sniffed up her tears and spoke.

"You know, to think zat zis kind of violence could exist in this world."

"Fifi..."

"To even..."

"Fifi!" Babs shouted as Fifi abruptly halted her statement with her back still to her.

Babs slowly approached towards her and placed a reassuring hand on her right shoulder.

"In my opinion, what Furrball did was crazy and stupid, but I'll tell ya right now, he's a brave as hell kitty cat and we'll never deny him that. And as for the violence in this world, it's out of our control. That's why we have police around the city. Okay?"

Fifi sighed a bit and eventually gazed into Babs' eyes before softly nodding in response.

Suddenly, the door opened as both Babs and Fifi turned around to find Shirley and Binky at the doorframe.

And due to the soft smiles and the tear eyes that they were giving off, Babs could only assume that they were listening in on the conversation between them.

But Shirley and Binky both admitted it seconds later before they all left the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Furrball was being occupied in the bed to treat his wounds while being watched under the eyes of Plucky, who's in sadness as to what he's seeing at this moment. 

But he, including Harold and Hampton were a bit disturbed by Buster's decision on how to pay for the surgery.

After a while of observation, Plucky walked away from the door and towards Buster before speaking.

"Hey, are you sure about this?" He asked

Buster grimaced in frustration and spoke.

"Look, unless you got thirty five hundred dollars, this is my only option."

Instantly, Plucky nodded and kept silence from the conversation.

Suddenly, Babs caught sight of the girls coming back across the corridor.

When the girls met up with them, Hampton checked with Fifi to insure that she was in control of her emotions.

In response, she nodded.

Buster approached Babs and took her hand.

Babs noticed.

"What is it?" She asked

"Let's go. I'll explain outside" He said

Keeping silence, Babs allowed Buster to take her along while the others notice, but didn't intervene.

* * *

As soon as they were outside in the late afternoon, Buster halted his walking along with Babs, who gazed him in question. 

"Buster, what's going on?"

"I know how to get thirty five hundred dollars for the surgery."

Instantly, Babs grew in surprise to that comment.

"Really? How?"

Buster grew briefly hesitant and began to tell her. However, when he did, she grew in shock by the answer.

"WHAT?"

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only option I got."

"Is it?" She asked as Buster looked from her in dismay to her answer. "Look, he has never given money to anyone in his life; Not ev--Not even to charity. What makes--!"

Instantly shaking his head, he gazed her and spoke in frustration.

"Oh, come on, Babs! What other options do I have, huh?" He asked, then resumed. "You, uh... do you--do you have a check for thirty five hundred, huh? Do Plucky? Do Shirley? Do Hampton? Do Binky? Do Fifi?"

Briefly pausing, with Babs a bit shocked from his outburst, he spoke again.

"Do my dad? No! No, I don't believe none of you do! So, what-what other options do I have, Babs? Huh? Yeah, why don't you tell me?"

In long silence, Babs instantly answered.

"We could use the school's trust--"

While she was talking, he shook his head in refusal to that suggestion before interrupting.

"No. No, that is not gonna happen. That trust fund is there for a reason and you know it. So that leaves my only option at this moment."

Babs grimaced and spoke.

"But to go to him for money--"

"N-Babs, Babs! Stop. He'll give us the money for this surgery."

But Babs was unconvinced and spoke.

"But what if he doesn't?" She asked which only caused Buster to tense his face in frustration.

"He will."

"What if he--"

"Stop!" He shouted as Babs grew silence before he spoke. "He will give us the money. Alright?"

Hesitant a bit, Babs exhaled and looked away from Buster before shaking her head in an unconvincing way and speaking.

"Alright, fine." She said, softly

"Okay. Now, let's go." He said as they both started walking the area away from the area.

* * *

The huge white mansion house was delicate on the outside, but on the inside, it's the home of the most spoil rich kid in Acme Acres known to toons as Montana Max. 

Sitting on a big recliner chair in a neatly decorated living room watching television, Max, who has his red hair combed back for a neat, stylish look, wore a wardrobe and a pair of slippers to suit his weekends.

Because, to Max, every weekend is a symbol of freedom where he can enjoy his two days of pleasure. Even with Father's Day in approach, he still enjoys his day where nothing else, not even the events that transpired early in the week at school, matters to him other than money.

Using his left hand, Max picked up the mug and sipped the last of his hot tea before his butler, Rusifer, who wore the actual tuxedo outfit, came up beside him with a tray in both hands.

On the tray is another mug of hot tea as Max gazed from his television to him.

"More hot tea, sir?" He asked

Smiling in delight, Max nodded.

"Yes. Thank you, Rusifer."

Delicately, he placed the tray down while Max removed the mug from the tray and placed the empty mug in its place. Afterwards, he sipped his drink before Rusifer spoke.

"I have finished the letters you've requested, sir. Shall I mail them now?"

Swallowing his tea and with his gaze from him, Max spoke.

"No. Do it tomorrow."

Bowing his head, Rusifer spoke.

"Very good, sir."

Rusifer made his leave before the doorbell ranged from the front. But Max resumed sipping his drink while his butler answered the door.

It's been at least one minute that he sipped half of his drink while watching television before he noticed Rusifer approaching towards him.

"Who's at the door?" He asked

"Friends of yours, sir." Rusifer answered

In silence, Max gazed his butler in confusion.

* * *

Outside, Buster and Babs Bunny stood out Max's front door awaiting his arrival. 

All the while and even throughout the long walk, Babs grew unconvinced of Buster's plan on paying the surgery. But she bothered not to question him on that issue for it may frustrate him a bit more. So, she stayed quiet before the knob on the door turned.

As the door opened, they saw Max approached and stopped at the doorframe.

In turn, Max saw them in a bit of disinterest before he spoke.

"What do you two want?" He asked

Buster grew hesitant for a bit before speaking.

"Your help." He said

Max issued a confused, yet surprised gaze to them and spoke.

"Excuse me?"

Before Buster spoke, Babs intervened.

"Did you hear what happened on the news?"

Max gazed Babs, and then back at Buster before speaking.

"Yeah. I'm sorry to hear about Furrball. And I wish him a speedy recovery."

Before he could close the door, Buster, in desperation, quickly placed his hand on the door to stop him from closing it before speaking.

"But-But that's what I wanted to talk to you about. They recommend surgery on his fractured spine caused by the bullet. If it stays in--"

Buster halted his speech when Max raised a hand to silence him.

"Look, Buster, I'm sorry about Furrball, okay? But this isn't gonna be my problem."

Max started back inside the house, leaving Buster and Babs in shock by the reaction.

"Rusifer, close the door." Max ordered

"Yes, sir." He answered

"M-Max, wait!" Buster shouted before the door shut in both their faces.

Getting down to one knee, Buster shuts his eyes tightly to endure the tears and hung his head while gritting his teeth.

Babs approached him, kneeled next to him, and placed her left arm over his shoulder.

After a while of silence, she spoke.

"Look, Buster, I'm not gonna say that I told you so. But--"

Instantly, Buster, without meeting her gaze, loosened his closed eyes and intervened.

"We're not leaving if that's what you're thinking." He said, softly

Babs grimaced in frustration due to his reluctant comment simultaneously calming down and speaking.

"Well, what are you gonna do now?" She asked

Silence, Buster slowly looked up at the closed door with a glare to his eyes.

* * *

Inside, Max was still sipping his tea when the doorbell ranged. Slowly, he gazed at the door and soon came to the anticipation on who it was. 

Placing his mug down to the side table, Max got up and waltzed towards the door.

"Shall I get the door, sir?" Rusifer called from the distance

"No, I got it." He said

As he got to the door, he turned the knob and opened it.

* * *

When he opened the door, he saw, as he suspected to his dismay, Buster and Babs, who were still at his doorstep. 

Buster, in his desperate state, wasted little time before he spoke.

"Max, hear me out, man. All we need is a check for thirty five hundred dollars for the surgery. That's it. Please!"

Max grimaced in annoyance, and then glared Buster before speaking.

"No check, alright? Now look, as much as I want to help, I can't. Because, as I said before, _it is not my problem._"

Shock and disappointment framed Buster's face as he slowly gazed away from Max's feature while Babs witnessed the whole display.

Max started to close the door before the door was halted by the weight of Buster's hand.

Struggling to no avail to close the door, Max gazed Buster, who slowly sent a glare in his direction before speaking.

"Okay. Let's try it another way." He said in a sinister tone

A few things happened at once that sent not only Max, but also Babs in a wave of shock.

In swift reflex, Buster pushed the door opened, approached passed the treshold inside the house, and grabbed Max by the fabric of his wardrobe, literally forcing him against the wall.

Struggling to no avail, Max spoke while Babs approached inside the place.

"What the hell are you--?"

"Shut up!" Buster intervened. "Where's your checkbook? I'll do it myself."

"Buster, calm down." Babs said

"Go outside, Babs." He ordered

"No, this--"

Instantly, he shot a glare at her.

"I said, GO OUTSIDE, DAMN YOU!" He shouted

Babs grew in shock by his outburst as Buster noticed and calmed down a bit.

"Please." He said, softly

Babs loosened up her expression and nodded in response before walking out the door.

Afterwards, Buster used his right hand to close the door behind her, then, with the same hand, grabbed the fabric of Max's wardrobe before he could struggle out of the hold, and glared him on.

"Where's your checkbook?" He asked

"You're making a mistake." Max said, briefly struggling from his grasp

"Am I? Let's see: My friend has been shot and none of us have any money to cover his surgery. So when we come to you for help, you became the _'not my problem_' type of guy. So, wh-who's making the mistake here, huh?"

Max grew in silence before Buster spoke.

"You have a dad, Max?"

Gazing him in surprise, Max spoke.

"Why is that even relevant?"

Instantly, Buster released the fabric of Max's robe from his left hand, positioned his index finger in front of his mouth and shushed him. Slowly, he lowered his index finger from his lips and spoke.

"Shut up and answer the goddamn question." Buster briefly peeved

Without hesitation, Max nodded in response before Buster spoke in a calm manner.

"Well, so does Furrball. All I'm asking is a check for thirty five hundred to do his surgery. That's all." Buster slowly released his right hand grasp on him before resuming. "Please, Max. He can't die like this before Father's Day."

Max studied Buster's emotional gaze for a while before sighing deeply.

"My checkbook is in my room." He said, softly. "Come on, I'll get it for you."

Buster smiled as Max led the way while he followed.

* * *

Babs stood patiently at Max's doorstep awaiting Buster's return. 

All the while, she was in a heap of worries after what happened inside between Buster and Max. But she couldn't do anything about it since she was shut out of the place. All she could do is hope that her blue friend doesn't do anything that he'll soon regret.

After what seems like three minutes, Babs gazed the door at the sudden sound of the knob dangling.

When the door opened, Babs smiled at the sight of Buster and Max at the doorframe.

After they exchanged verbal gratitudes to each other, Buster walked out the house while Max closed the door.

When he reached Babs' position, both rabbits started walking along the forest.

"Did you get it?" She asked before gazing him.

With a reassuring smile, Buster gazed her and gestured the check in his hand before speaking.

"Yeah."

Babs smiled and nodded in response as they both started traversing their trip straight back towards the hospital.


	10. Can We Undo The Damage?

Chapter Ten: **Can We Undo The Damage?  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Buster and Babs entered the hospital a couple of minutes later and wasted little time on doing the task for the surgery. 

Moments later, the doctors and nurses got to work on getting Furrball onto the long bed and rolling him off into the surgery room while his closest friends watched on.

Momentarily, Fifi wanted to go along, but Babs held her back with a reassuring hand on her right shoulder.

Fifi appears to have calmed down as she along with the gangs constantly watched their wounded friend be strolled away towards the surgery room.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------An hour and a half later, Furrball was laid on a bed with his eyes closed.

He was hooked into a life support machine to help him with his breathing while a tube and syringe injection supplied him with liquids in his veins to keep the blood flowing.

The wound was stitched up and bandaged on his back, although it was unseen by anyone, including Furrball.

Slowly, Furrball's eyes started to twitch a bit, and with every passing second, he begins to slowly open his eyes. He started to move his head to the left side to find Fifi seated on a chair and resting her head on the desk that's next to the bed.

He softly smiled at the sight of her before slowly using his left hand to reach out to her.

With a soft, slow stroke to her cheek, the touch was enough to stir her a bit from her slumber.

When she eventually awoke, she was in shock to find that he was alive and awake.

"Hi." Furrball managed to speak in a soft tone of voice

Swallowing saliva a bit, Fifi spoke.

"Oh, my God."

Slowly, she used her right hand to softly caress the hand that stroked her face. A smile crept up on her face and she suddenly felt tears that are about to flow from her eyes.

As she rested her face onto his hand, the tears freely fell from her eyes while she softly started sobbing.

Furrball seems to notice, but didn't want to disturb her as he constantly started softly stroking her face, which will momentarily calm her down.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The next hour and fifteen minutes, Furrball was released from the hospital.

When Fifi told Buster on the phone about ten minutes later, he informed the others and they were all relieved with joy and happiness.

Buster has thought about stopping by and helping out Furrball from there, but Fifi told him that she would take care of it.

At first, he was a bit uncomfortable about the idea ever since the two were mugged, but Fifi said that everything was going to be fine.

Buster managed to agree after a bit of silence before he and Fifi said their goodbyes and hung up.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sitting on the wheelchair, Furrball, with Fifi's help, was being wheeled outside the hospital in the late afternoon.

She thought about taking Furrball back home to the alleyway, but soon decided against it. After all that happened, she wasn't sure if that kind of incident was going to happen again.

So instead of taking him to the alleyway, she took him down to the red Mercedes car, to which she calls home.

Fifi got to work in helping Furrball into the car. Grunting a bit in pain, he managed to get in himself without having to strain the recovered injury he momentarily felt from his back.

As he was completely inside, Fifi closed the door for him, went to the other side and got inside herself.

As Furrball was panting softly from his injury, Fifi closed the door after her entrance before taking note of his predicament with concern.

"You okay?" She asked softly

While panting, Furrball nodded and spoke.

"Yeah, thank you."

Fifi smiled in response. But as she looked away from him, her smile slightly faded with a hint of sadness. Furrball took notice with concern.

"Fifi, what's wrong?" He asked

Fifi didn't speak, nor did she meet his gaze. Her mind was racing with questions pertaining to what has transpired in the past hours. Yet, she remained in silence due to reaction from her feline friend.

Before Furrball could ask the question again, Fifi eventually spoke.

"Why did you do it?"

Furrball was in a bit of confusion before speaking.

"Huh?"

"You saved my life and..." She stopped with hesitation and closed her eyes to keep from reminiscing on the incident. "...took a bullet to the back. Why?"

Furrball was in silence from the question.

Fifi took notice of his silence, but still waited for his answer.

Swallowing saliva a bit, Furrball sighed deeply and spoke.

"Because...I love you."

Fifi was in a wave of silence. She wanted to speak, but she grew hesitant. She could almost feel the tears relinquishing from her eyes upon those words. She tried to hold the tears back, but did it in vain while the tears roam freely from her eyes.

Furrball noticed and, with his right hand, he reached over to her and caressed the left cheek of her face.

Despite the fact that the reassuring touch wasn't enough to stop the flowing of the tears, Fifi managed a smile and, with her left hand, softly started caressing his touching hand.

Furrball managed a smile himself, but was unprepared of what was going to happen afterwards.

Fifi sniffed up the tears and eventually spoke.

"I love you, too." She said in a soft tone

Without hesitation, she embraced Furrball's face with both hands and issued a soft passionate kiss to the kitty cat, literally closing her eyes in the process.

Furrball's expression grew of surprise from the kiss, but gave in while closing his eyes as both their tongues wrestled throughout their mouth. Both were moaning throughout the sensual ordeal as the whole thing lasted for a minute and fifteen seconds before they slowly released from each other.

Both were savoring the moment before they both opened their eyes.

They were in silence while gazing into each other eyes for a while before Furrball issued a soft smile and spoke.

"Wow. That was cool."

Fifi issued a smile of her own.

"I know." She replied softly in her French language.

Furrball almost grew confused by the reply, but managed to memorize the translation of it.

He issued a light chuckle, but halted when a thought came to him.

Loosening the smile a bit, Fifi took note of it and, after slowly relinquishing her hands from his face, spoke.

"What's wrong?"

Silence a bit, Furrball spoke.

"Nothing. I was just thinking and..." He stopped himself and got straight to the point. "...what about Hampton?"

Fifi grew in silence herself upon the question. Eventually, she spoke.

"Hampton?"

Furrball nodded and spoke.

"Yeah. I mean, are you two still seeing each other?"

Once again, with her gaze lowered from his view a bit, Fifi grew hesitant from the question.

Furrball took note of the silence before speaking.

"Look, Fifi, you don't have to answer if you don't--"

Fifi shook her head.

"No, No. I-It's okay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. And as for ze question, truthfully, I haven't really given it much thought."

"You haven't?"

Fifi shook her head.

"No. But yes, we are seeing each other. But at the same time, we grew separate from each other. This is why I've decided to put school before romance."

Furrball grew in long silence before nodding comprehensively.

"Oh."

Eventually, Fifi met his gaze and issued a smile before speaking.

"You are not freaked out, are you?"

Furrball issued a light-hearted chuckle before shaking his head and speaking.

"No." He paused a bit and resumed. "So, uh...what do we do now?"

With the smile intact to her face, Fifi spoke.

"We could look up at the late afternoon skies before night comes."

Furrball chuckled softly and spoke.

"You really like the stars, do you?"

Fifi managed a snicker of response as she and Furrball, for the next few hours, began staring into the late afternoon skies.

As night came, the stars have visibly made their presence known among the atmosphere while the faint sounds of crickets were heard throughout the forest.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Buster Bunny, with his hands behind his head, was lying comfortably on the bed. But he wasn't asleep. In fact, he was in a wave of thought pertaining to both Furrball and the incident that transpired earlier.

He knew that Furrball was alive and well, but, to him, the whole thing still came at a price for his feline friend.

With an inhale of breath, he released a deep sigh from his mouth before he heard the sound of the door opening.

He diverted his attention directly at the door to find Harold entering the room carrying two glasses of cold water in both hands.

With a smile, he spoke.

"Got us some water, son."

With a smile of his own, Buster nodded softly and spoke.

"Thanks."

As he closed the door behind him with his left foot, Harold approached towards the right side of the bed and sat on a chair in front of the nightstand that's next to the bed.

Afterwards, he handed Buster the glass of water while the blue bunny took it gracefully.

Buster sipped the drink while Harold watched with the smile still intact to his face.

After Buster was done, he sighed with delight, literally savoring the liquid drink before speaking.

"God, that feels good."

"I know. If it was a _Trader's Joe_ place around this area, I'd get mineral water."

Buster softly chuckled and spoke.

"Since when do you drink mineral water?"

"Since about five years ago." He replied before sipping his drink.

"Ah. You know, I never went to _Trader's Joe_ before. What is it, another supermarket?"

After Harold savored his drink, he spoke.

"Well, son, you have to go there to find out."

Upon that comment, Buster went into a brief train of thought before nodding.

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

As Harold took a second sip of his drink, Buster lowered his gaze a bit and sighed softly before speaking.

"Dad?"

Swallowing the drink, Harold cleared his throat a bit before speaking.

"Yes?"

"Well, you know, I've been thinking."

"About what?"

Silence a bit, he spoke.

"Furrball."

"Son, he's alive. He's going to be fine."

"Yeah, I-I know that. But..." He stopped himself and sighed again before speaking. "...he was robbed of his wallet, which means that he has absolutely no money to get his father anything for Father's Day tomorrow."

Harold nodded comprehensively as Buster resumed, literally meeting his father's gaze.

"So-So, my question to you is this: _Can we undo the damage?_"

Silence a bit, Harold grew in a brief train of thought before nodding.

"Yes." He answered before gazing his son and smiling. "Yes, let's do it."

With a smile, Buster and Harold embraced each other with a loving hug.

Afterwards, they both got themselves dressed up and exited out the burrow.  
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	11. On The 21st Day

Chapter Eleven: "**On the 21st Day...**"  
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The morning day was Sunday...Father's Day. The day that signifies giving and love. Some humans and toons thought that the day would never come, while others thought that it would take an eternity for it to arrive.

But to the few or many, it was only five days. And now that those days have been removed, the holiday has begun.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Furrball was asleep inside of the red Mercedes car. And when the sunlight shoned to his eyes directly from the side window, he stirred from his slumber of sleep.

Fluttering his eyes a bit, he opened them up, literally groaning and using his back right hand to block the sunlight from his line of sight.

He could almost feel the tears beginning to force its way from his eyes due to the effect of the sunlight. But he kept his eyes close to keep that from happening.

As his eyes were partially open, he started searching the back pockets of the front seats. Little to nothing was in the first pocket, but when he searched the other, he found a pair of shades.

Placing them down on his lap, he started rubbing his two eyes to keep himself awake. Afterwards, he placed the shades on and was free to gaze upon the sunlight.

As he did so while briefly yawning from his slumber, he started looking around the car. Someone was missing from his sight.

"Fifi?" He called

No response.

"Fifi!" He called again.

Once again, there was no response. He inhaled and released a deep sigh from his breath.

"Maybe she went someplace and didn't want to wake me." He assumed

With that being said, he started to scoot his way towards the left side door. He grew careful as to not strain the injury on his back as he made his approach.

Once he got there, he braced his hand on the handle to open the door, but stopped for some apparent reason.

Despite the shades on his eyes, Furrball's expression grew of suspicion. He couldn't help but notice that he didn't feel any pain when he started moving.

'_Is my back getting better?_' He thought

Slowly, he took a glance over his right shoulder and could only see the stitched-up wound from the corner of his right eye. Using his left hand, he slowly reached over his right shoulder until he got to where his wound is.

Once he was there, he pressed slightly on the wound.

_'No pain_.' He thought with his suspicion still intact

He pressed on it again a bit harder and the same thing happened. He felt nothing. No pain.

Furrball's expression grew of surprise as he diverted his attention forward into brief thought.

'_Huh. Maybe my back is getting better_.'

However, Furrball wasn't highly convinced. To him, it couldn't have taken a day for him to heal that fast, especially when he was sleeping.

Pulling the handle back, he opened the door widely. While it stayed that way, he positioned himself at the edge of the seat.

He grew still for a moment, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

'_Here goes nothing_.'

Slowly, he moved his left leg out and his foot touched the ground while his right foot followed suit.

By now, Furrball was out of the car next to the wheelchair as he was leaned over a bit. Yet, he felt no pain in the back.

His expression grew of surprise by this, but once again, he grew unconvinced.

'_Okay. Let's try to stand_.' He thought

Slowly, he started to lift his upper body. As soon as he stood up straight, his surprised expression lengthened for he once again felt less pain from the experience.

But he felt that he needed more convincing. So he started to move his left and right shoulder. No pain.

He stopped himself with the same expression intact to his face.

"Whoa."

Slowly, he started looking down to his feet, then gazing forward again in wonder.

'_Maybe I can walk_.' He thought

Briefly swallowing saliva down his throat, Furrball started to move his left foot. However, he stopped in his track.

From the corner of his left eye, he slowly removed the shades from his eyes and saw Buster, who was in shock from the sight he's seeing, carrying a medium-sized gift wrapped package in hand.

Then, he saw Harold, who was in the same trance as Buster was.

And finally, he saw Fifi, who's in the same trance as well, carrying a brown bag of food in both her hands.

Momentarily, Furrball's gaze was to them and before he could utter a word out, Fifi, in her previous state, dropped the bag full of food to the ground and started racing up to him.

As soon as she got to him, she embraced him in a huge, loving hug while Furrball did the same, yet he felt less pain from the experience.

Both Buster and Harold smiled at this display as they approached their way.

Simultaneously, they released the embrace and looked into each other's eyes with smiles on their faces.

Both were silence, unable to find the words to speak. Eventually, Fifi spoke.

"I can't believe you're standing."

Furrball snickered inwardly with a smile to his face before speaking.

"You know, I can't believe it myself. I mean, the whole experience was..."

He stopped himself in silence as Fifi noticed in wonder.

"Was what?"

After a while of silence, Furrball spoke.

"Painless." He said in a soft tone of voice

Fifi could hardly contain the tears in her eyes as she embraced him once again with her eyes closed.

While that was going on, Furrball took notice of Buster and Harold stopping in front of their position.

As they both released the embrace, Furrball and Fifi got their attention before Buster spoke.

"Wow. It's-It's good to see you walking again, man."

"Well, actually, I haven't gotten to walking yet. I just started standing."

Buster and Harold nodded comprehensively.

"Ah." They both said in unison

As Furrball smiled, he took note of the gift-wrapped package in Buster's hands.

"What's that?" He asked

Buster smiled and approached Furrball before offering the package to him.

Gracefully, Furrball took it before Buster spoke.

"Let's just call it a little something to undo the damage."

Furrball grew briefly confused by his comment before anticipating on what he meant.

"Oh." He said, then smiled and resumed. "Thank you."

Buster nodded.

"Welcome."

As Furrball pressed his left ear against the package, he gave it a brief shake before speaking.

"Hmm, sounds kinda big." He assumed, literally removing his ear from the package and gazing Buster in question. "What is it?"

Buster issued a clever smile before speaking.

"That's for me to know and for your _father_ to find out."

Harold placed a hand on his son's right shoulder and spoke.

"Nicely done, son." He complimented

With a smile, Buster spoke.

"Thanks, Dad."

Furrball chuckled inwardly as he studied the package and spoke.

"Gee, I hope my dad likes it."

"He'll love it." Buster said. "Just don't tell him what happened to you."

Furrball gazed Buster and scoffed in disbelief.

"You want me to lie to my dad?"

Silence, Buster chuckled.

"Naw, I'm just screwin' with you."

All chuckled inwardly before Furrball spoke.

"So, uh...what are you two gonna do?"

Buster was about to speak, but halted himself and got into thought of the question.

"You know, I really don't know." He said as he gazed at Harold, who returned the gaze to his son. "Say, what were we planning on doin, dad?"

Shrugging and shaking his head cluelessly, Harold spoke.

"I'm as clueless as you are, son."

Slightly nodding, Buster spoke.

"Huh. Any ideas?"

With his right hand, Harold rubbed his chin in thought.

"Hmm. We could go for a Father's Day drive."

Buster gazed forward and nodded, but did a double take to his dad upon his comment.

"'_Drive_'? You-You mean you have a car?"

Harold nodded.

"Yeah. Didn't I tell you?"

Buster shook his head.

"No."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Well, if you two don't mind, we like to be alone for a while." Furrball said

Upon that comment, Buster issued a sly smile before speaking.

"Alone? Wow, a little romantic action."

Furrball grimaced in annoyance and spoke.

"Not '_alone_' in that way!" He said as Buster lost the smile before he resumed. "Our fathers will be on the way here soon. So we'll be waiting in the car for them."

"Ohhh! Okay, cool."

Furrball and Fifi issued inward chuckles as Harold spoke.

"Well, we gotta go. Best of luck to you, Furrball."

Furrball nodded.

"You too, Mr. Bunny."

Harold nodded and smiled.

"It's Harold."

Slightly blushing with embarrassment, Furrball spoke.

"Oh."

Briefly snickering from the look on the feline's face, Buster spoke.

"Okay. We're out of here. Take care, Furrball."

Furrball nodded.

"You too, buddy."

"See you, Fifi." Harold said

Fifi waved in their direction.

"See you."

As Harold and Buster departed from their position, both Furrball and Fifi made their way back to the Mercedes car.

Momentarily, as they approached the car, Furrball was able to walk without any pain inflicted to his back as they got inside and conversed with each other while waiting patiently for their fathers to arrive for the holiday.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A few hours later, Buster and Harold stood upon the sidewalk in front of a silver car parked at the curve side.

Buster was in awkward silence upon the car's coloration and style.

"Wow. This is your car?"

Harold nodded.

"Yep. Had this baby for half a decade now."

Buster issued a surprised gaze to Harold upon that comment.

"Half a decade?"

Harold nodded in response as Buster drew his gaze back to the car.

"Wow."

"Let's go."

Harold started over to the other side of the car and got in on the front while Buster got in on the passenger's side.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------As they both closed their doors on opposite sides, Harold turned the engines on the car and drove the car onto the concrete streets.

Throughout the ride, Buster was surveying the inside of the car. He grew astonished by the looks of everything.

Harold noticed.

"Like it so far?" He asked

Buster nodded.

"Very much. I wish I had a car like this?"

Harold chuckled and spoke.

"Someday when you're older, son. Or if you wanna learn, you can always go to the DMV."

Buster gazed at Harold and spoke.

"Really?"

Harold nodded.

"Yeah. You should try it two years from now."

As Buster diverted his attention from him, he grew into thought on the subject.

"Hmm. Maybe I should." He said before taking note of the red traffic light. "Red light."

Harold nodded in response before halting the car to a complete stop.

As they waited for the change of the lights, Buster stared off and noticed a sign that says _21st Street_ on the pole.

"Huh."

Harold gazed him in question.

"What?"

Without meeting his gaze, Buster spoke.

"We're about to cross _21st Street_."

Harold nodded.

"Yeah, I know. Weird, huh?"

Buster turned his gaze to his father upon the comment.

"Why you say that, Dad?"

"Well, today's the 21st, which is Father's Day and you're seeing a sign that says 21st Street. Weird being, it might be some sort of reminder or something."

Buster chuckled inwardly slightly diverting is gaze from his dad to the road.

Harold, however, was getting briefly frustrated waiting for the lights to change.

"What's taking this light so long?"

"Give it time, Dad."

Harold issued a slight snicker of calm and spoke.

"Thank you, son."

Silence overcame the car before Buster spoke upon anticipation.

"Say, Dad?"

Harold turned his gaze to Buster.

"Yes."

"You know, we've been having so much of a time these last couple of days that I didn't get a chance to ask you this question."

Harold nodded slightly.

"What question is that?"

Buster gazed Harold and spoke.

"What would you want for Father's Day?"

Harold grew silence for a bit and before he could answer, Buster noticed the traffic light changing.

"Green light."

Harold nodded and rode the car before speaking.

"Well, son...I haven't really gotten around to that. But if you really must know..."

He halted and gazed his son with a smile on his face.

Buster returned the look only to stare passed Harold to the outside in horror from a dire sight.

"I..."

The car didn't get a chance to make it passed the 21st Street road before a honking eighteen-wheeler truck rammed into the side of the car with a harsh impact, sending the car off its course.

Momentarily, it tipped over to its side until it was upside down.

Afterwards, the truck went to a screeching halt.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Buster's eyes fluttered as he groaned from the pain that's coming from his forehead.

As he slowly opened his eyes, his visions grew blurred. When they came into focus, he saw the sight of Babs, Shirley, Plucky, Hampton, and Binky looking down onto him in worries and concern.

Groaning, Buster slowly used his right hand and felt his forehead. As he caressed it, his expression grew in question.

Then, he envisions the accident. He remembers his head being smashed against the side window during the course of that experience.

Removing his hand from his forehead, Buster, to his shock, got a glimpse of his blood on the tip of his gloved fingers.

Then, he diverted his gaze forward with the same expression on his face due to anticipation.

Someone was missing.

"Buster?" Babs called

Buster heard her, but despite the awareness of him being on a gurney, he started frantically looking around for someone.

Babs and the others took note of it.

"Buster, are you--" Babs started before Buster intervened.

"Where is he?" He asked, gazing her.

Upon that question, Babs grew silence and lowered her gaze from him in sadness. Buster noticed, then grasped both her shoulders, literally forcing her to gaze him.

However, Babs had her eyes closed tightly to avoid looking at him before he spoke.

"Babs, where is he?"

Babs grew silence once again as Buster shook her violently.

"Look at me!" He shouted

He could feel Babs trembling from the experience as he calmed himself a bit and spoke.

"Please."

As she slowly opened her eyes, Buster could clearly see the doors of tears forming into her eyes and about ready to fall at an instance.

In shock, Buster could almost feel the tears relinquishing from his eyes at the signification of her state.

Slowly, he shook his head in denial.

"No." His voice broke as he spoke. "Don't give me that look. Where is he, Babs?"

Babs grew unresponsive as Buster quickly started gazing Plucky, Hampton, Shirley, and Binky. But, to his shock, they were in their sadness state as well.

Buster shook his head in disbelief.

"No." He said softly before gazing Babs. "No. Babs, where is he?"

Eventually, the doors of tears broke from her eyes and flowed freely down her cheeks before she spoke.

"Buster, he's..."

But Babs halted herself. She was too terrified to say it.

Buster noticed and before he could try again, he slowly diverted his attention to another gurney, which is headed for the ambulance, that with-held a body under a long white sheet.

Panting uncontrollably, Buster's eyes widened in horror at the scenery before quickly getting off his gurney.

Babs noticed and started to call out to him, but he grew ignorance to her call and resumed his approach towards the second gurney. All his friends could do was watch helplessly.

Many people and toons were outside in view of the vehicular accident including the terrified trucker who was responsible for it.

A few ambulance workers took note of Buster's approach and blocked his path, prompting him to stop with a hint of sheer emotional irritation.

"I'm sorry, sir. But we can't."

"He's my father. I wanna see him."

The ambulance workers took note to his emotional expression and eventually gave Buster a pass to the gurney.

When he got there, he briefly uncovered the gurney to see a horrifying sight.

Harold Bunny was laid motionless on the gurney with a critical wound to the right side of his cranium. Blood slowly freed itself from the wound as Buster gasped in horror with his left hand covering his mouth.

As he sniffed up the flowing tears, Buster, literally terrified and speechless, slowly uncovered his mouth and swallowed a bit of saliva. Afterwards, he slowed his breathing down before turning away and walking from the scene, leaving the ambulance workers to their job.

Time virtually slows and as he left the scene, his expression grew blank as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Babs and the others noticed, but they didn't stop him.

Babs, on the other hand, wanted to go and comfort him from this scenery, but knew that it wouldn't do any good as she constantly shed many amounts of tears from her eyes.

No one could possibly comprehend what Buster may be thinking. But one thing was certain: _This day will never be forgotten._

_On the 21st day, it was Father's Day. On the 21st day, tragedy has struck. And that's something that Buster Bunny will never ever forget.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_


	12. A Promise Broken?

Chapter Twelve: **A Promise Broken?  
**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(**Present Day**)

And there he stood. Over the grave of his late father.

It was three days into the present and Buster still hasn't forgotten that tragic incident. Just thinking about that event would make him cry, but apparently the rain has done him the favor.

He wanted to deny it, but he couldn't. Because reality seems to shatter that possibility.

And despite the shades on his eyes, the blank expression never left his face.

With a deep sigh escaping his breath, Buster eventually spoke.

"Hi, Dad. It's me, Buster." He hesitated a bit and resumed. "You know, with our recent dispute aside, I would like to say that, um...you are one of the best dads in the world. You hear me? You are the finest. And-And even though you gave me up sixteen years ago, you had good reasons...good painful reasons."

He stopped himself to catch his breath. Then, he grew silence and in thought about the bitter feud that transpired throughout the beginning of the week. The whole incident from last week was like a bad virus to Buster's stomach.

But despite his reasons, he felt ashamed for that incident with him and his dad.

"I'm sorry." He said in his soft tone of voice and resumed. "I'm sorry for...my hatred, my...my disgust, and my contempt towards you. I'm sorry for all that I've put you through."

Removing his shades, Buster sniffed the tears from his eyes. He could feel his voice trembling at the moment before he resumed.

"A-And because of my dispute upon you, it almost cost me a friendship." He stopped and sighed deeply before speaking. "You know, to tell you the truth, I couldn't even imagine a life without you here. We'd play ball, we'd go fishing, the whole nine yards."

Silence, his voice broke as he spoke.

"But now that you're gone, I don't know what I'll do."

As he sniffed up the remaining tears, he issued a small reassuring smile to his face.

"But don't worry."

He grew silence and reached into his pocket before speaking.

"You won't be alone."  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a knock at Buster's bedroom door and after the third knock, the door opened as Babs made her way in.

As she closed the door behind her, she started searching the room.

"Buster?" She called

Yet, she got no answer, which prompts her suspicions. He hasn't returned her calls ever since the incident a few days ago, which led to her worrying. He didn't mention anything to her about where he was going. So where is he?

'_Maybe he's in hiding._' She thought

It was a good assumption, but when she searched every available area for hiding spots, he was nowhere to be found. This little indication only increased her concern up a notch.

As she started to resume her search, she halted herself when she noticed a white cloth on the floor.

Shockingly, the very sight of the cloth gave her a sudden anticipation on what's going to happen and an idea on where her blue friend might be.

Quickly, she ran to the phone and dialed the recommended number.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Five minutes has passed as Babs was sprinting across the cemetery area in search for her blue friend. Her feet felt the wet ground as she sprinted throughout the ongoing rain. Eventually, she halted herself and spotted him in front of his father's grave.

Her expression grew in question to what he was doing there. Was he going to pay his respects? Perhaps.

But before she could make any assumptions, she took note of an object that he was holding in his left hand.

From her distance, she narrowed her eyes to get a closer look at the object in his hand. She gasped in fright at the sight she saw.

"Oh, my God."

A baretta in his hand. Was he serious?

Without another word, she wasted little time and started sprinting in that direction.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Meanwhile..._

"Do you believe in God, Dad? I'm just asking because if he's merciful, then he'll accept another soul."

Slowly, Buster gazed at the gun, showing less intimidation at the sight of it before speaking.

"God be with you, Father."

As his finger firmed the trigger, he slowly aimed the gun at his left temple and spoke.

"I'll be joining you soon enough."

Slowly, as he closed his eyes, he silently started praying. He recited every word he has read from the Bible before coming here. As soon as he was done, he started to squeeze the trigger.

Suddenly, he was tackled down to his back on the wet ground.

Buster could feel the weight of the person on him, grabbing a hold of his arm to get the gun away from him. And as soon as he got a glimpse of the person, he saw that it was Babs on top of him.

None has spoken a word and as a struggle broke out, Buster reversed the maneuver on Babs and was now on top of her.

Upon the struggle, she has tried every effort to keep Buster from pulling the trigger, yet, to her shock, he tries to prevent that.

Babs reversed the maneuver back and as soon as that happened, she was finally able to relinquish the gun from his hands.

Quickly, she stood up with the gun held in her right hand as Buster was on the ground looking up at her with a hint of surprise.

As both started panting softly, Babs looked at the gun, then at Buster in shock while the suicidal blue bunny looked her on in surprise.

"Babs."

Briefly shocked, Babs looked at the gun again, then at Buster before speaking.

"You...What are you..."

"Babs, give it to me." Buster requested while extending his hand for the taking.

Silence a bit with the expression still intact, Babs spoke upon anticipation.

"You were gonna..."

She stopped herself as the expression of anger slowly framed her face.

"You son of a bitch." She said softly

So without another word, she turned around with her back to him and aimed the gun to the ground.

In wide shock, Buster took note of it while slowly getting up.

"Wait. Wh-What are you..."

Then, she pulled the trigger and the gun fired off a couple of slug shots to the ground.

"NO!"

Buster quickly got up and tackled her to the ground on her stomach. As he pinned her down, he immediately got the gun from her grasp.

As he got a few feet away from her, he closed his eyes, cringed his teeth, quickly aimed the gun to his right temple and pulled the trigger.

...Click.

The gun clicked. But Buster cringed his eyes shut in disbelief and depressed the trigger multiple times. Yet, it did the exact same thing. The gun was emptied.

Tears was leaking from his eyes as he started sobbing softly while Babs stood up and gazed him in disgust from the display that she witnessed.

"My God, Buster. How could you?" She said softly

Growling angrily, with his teeth grinded, Buster threw the gun down to the ground, turned around and approached Babs in a fast pace with a glare to his eyes.

Babs was slow to react as Buster, with both hands, grasped her by the shirt and forced her against the nearby tree with a harsh impact.

Babs grunted in pain upon contact before Buster spoke in a heat of anger.

"WHY? YOU HAD NO RIGHTS!"

With a glare to him and her intimidation in check, she spoke.

"Neither do you." She said

Then, she shoved him off of her with both hands as Buster staggered a bit and regained himself.

Glaring each other down, they both were in silence a bit with a few distances from one another before Babs spoke.

"Suicide? _That_ was your plan? Is that why you didn't tell me where you were going?"

"You wouldn't understand."

She pointed her finger at his face and spoke.

"Shut your hole. You hear me? SHUT IT! Because let me tell you something. If this is that bullshit speech where I don't know what it's like to lose someone, you are wrong. So you shut your goddamn mouth."

Both were silence and panting a bit. Babs lowered her finger and shook her head before speaking.

"You know, I can't believe you. I really can't. Using a gun after what you promised him?"

"You..." He stopped himself due to anticipation. "You spied on our conversation?"

"You goddamn right I did. He told you, didn't he? Or did you forget that."

"Look..."

"You know... this crappy scenery I expected much from a homeless person, but you?"

Scoffing in disgust, she resumed.

"You should know better."

"Oh, yeah? What am I suppose to do, live with it for the rest of my life?"

"No. But anything's better than suicide! And from that little comment, you're makin' it sound like you killed him!"

Groaning with annoyance, Buster turned and started walking away to Babs' surprise as she approached his way.

"Where are you going?"

"To get the gun and--"

He stopped his pace when Babs blocked his path.

"The hell you will. Forget that gun. You hear me? Forget it."

"Get outta my way, Babs."

"Or what?" She questioned. "Huh? What?"

Buster grew silence and unresponsive with his stern glare to her. But Babs knew what was going through his head. She knew that his emotions were taking control and wouldn't let her questions stop him from doing what he was going to do. So she narrowed her eyes due to a sudden solution to mind.

"Hit me."

Instantly, the proposal caught Buster by surprise before he spoke.

"What?"

"Hit me. You need relief, right? Then, hit me!"

He shook his head.

"No. Now get outta my way."

Before he could approach further, Babs halted him by the palm of her right hand, then blindsided Buster with a left hook to the right cheek of his face.

Buster felt the impact of the blow as he staggered a bit and got down to one knee.

As he caressed his right cheek, he looked up at Babs in surprise.

"What the hell are you doing?"

With the stern glare down on him, she spoke.

"Advancing motivation. Since you're not gonna hit me, I'm gonna have to hit you back. And your only way to that gun is to hit me back."

As he stood up, Buster spoke.

"You're crazy. I'm not gonna hit you."

Babs nodded.

"Okay."

Then, she threw another left hook to him, literally getting him down to one knee again.

Buster groaned in pain from the attack before a tad of blood was released from his mouth. As he wiped the blood from his mouth, he caressed his cheek to comfort the pain away before gazing her.

Babs shook her head in pity before speaking.

"Jesus Christ, Buster. Suicide is never the answer!"

With a return glare to her, Buster, who's literally resisting the urge to strike her, slowly started standing up before speaking.

"Is that right? Well, then, tell me. _What_ is the answer, Babs? Hmm?"

Without hesitation, she spoke.

"Life."

Before Buster opened his mouth to speak on the subject, Babs intervened.

"And I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, '_Life isn't the answer. It's all useless and pointless._' How's my aim?"

Buster wanted to speak, but no voice came out. Instead, sighed in defeat and looked away from Babs, which was all the anticipation that she needed.

"I think I hit the right target. But, you see, you're wrong. Life has meanings to this."

Without much of a glance in her direction, Buster spoke.

"If that were true, why'd my dad had to go?"

"You know as well as I do that none of us could have foreseen what would happen. Not even Shirley. She may be a psychic, but wasn't in the rank of foreseeing the future."

Both grew silence. Buster wanted to speak, but found himself clenching his fist from the experience of the tragedy. Every fabric of memory from that incident would cause him to mentally tighten the grip on his fist as he eventually spoke.

"It should have been me."

"Buster, stop."

"Hell, I wish it was me."

"DAMN IT, I SAID STOP!" Babs shouted

Instantly glaring in her direction, Buster retorted.

"WHY? Huh? I was the one who resented him throughout the days. And--"

"And throughout those days he never gave up on you." Babs interjected. "You wanna know why? Because he loves you. Despite the past, _he_ still loves you..."

She loosened the glare on her face and resumed.

"...and so do I."

Upon those comments, Buster slowly started to loosen the glare on his face before she resumed.

"Look, Buster, I can't change what happened. But please, please don't be a suicide bunny."

Buster seemed calm for a moment, but each time that he kept reminiscing on the event, he felt himself ready to hyperventilate.

Babs took notice with worries and approached his way.

"Buster?" She called, yet she got no answer from him.

As she halted in front of him, she spoke.

"Buster, look at me."

Buster managed to divert his attention from the ground to her.

Silence a bit, Babs spoke.

"Don't think about it. Okay? Please."

Swallowing saliva a bit, Buster spoke.

"What do you want me to do? I mean, for three days I couldn't sleep or eat knowing that he's gone."

Before he could go any further, Babs interrupted.

"That's because you thought about it. _Stop thinking about it._"

"Then what the hell do you want me to do? I'm not gonna pretend that this isn't happening because--"

"Then don't." Babs intervened. "Just think about the good times you had with each other. _The good times, not the bad._"

Buster couldn't help but realize that Babs may be right. From the start, he thought of his father as an abandoner. But as the days went by, he has really gotten along with him. Gotten to know him. Sure, they argue over their recent past, but they revived their relationships humanely and not more violently. Plus, they played games with each other as a signification of bonding and enjoyed themselves together inside his burrow.

Then, Buster remembered the talk that he had with his father about the gun. It was then and there that he realized the one thing that he'll be breaking. And that was a kept promise.

As he loosened his body, Buster issued a deep sigh from his breath and slowly lowered his eyes from Babs before speaking.

"You're right." He said softly and resumed. "You're absolutely right."

He could feel the tears relinquishing from his eyes as Babs noticed before speaking.

"Buster, before the incident, what were you're last words to him?"

At first, Buster hesitated. Then, he slowly gazed his teary eyes at her before speaking.

"I, uh...I asked him what he would want for Father's Day. But before he could--"

Babs held a hand up to halt Buster from going any further.

As she lowered her hand, she spoke.

"I take it that he never answered you."

Buster nodded slightly in response while wiping the tears from his eyes.

Babs embraced her hands on Buster's wrists and spoke.

"Buster, out of all those presents, _you_ are his Father's Day gift. That's all."

Buster grew in silence for a while before speaking.

"Really?"

With a slight smile to her face, she nodded.

"How did you know?" He asked

"Because he told me. He didn't want me to say anything to you before because it might ruin the surprise."

With a slight smile on his face, Buster spoke.

"Thank you."

"Welcome."

Then, Buster lost the smile when he gazed upon his father's grave. He could almost feel the tears resurfacing from his eyes before releasing a deep sigh from his breath and speaking.

"God, I miss him so much."

As he clenched his eyes closed due to the memory of his father, the tears freely flowed from his eyes as he and Babs embraced in a hug for comfort.

During the hug, Buster started sobbing silently, causing his voice to break as he spoke.

"I miss him so much."

"I know. I miss him too, Buster." She said softly. "I miss him too."

Their hugs almost lasted an eternity throughout the cemetery as the slight showers of rain bathed them both. Eventually, the sun may dawn on them from the horizon to cleanse the soul of one Harold Bunny. May he rest in peace.


	13. In Memory and Heart

Chapter Thirteen: **Epilogue - In Memory and Heart  
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Buster was able to return home and had Babs to spend the night with him for as much comfort as possible. 

Babs has informed her mother of her stay with him for the right reasons and she was kind enough to grant her that privilege.

Afterwards, everything went smoothly as Buster and Babs conversed with each other throughout the passing hours, literally joking around and having fun.

Eventually, they would get some shut-eye and call it a night.  
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Thursday has strolled by and everyone was enjoying their day as usual.

Furrball, Hampton, and Fifi spent occasional times with each other, all literally making calls to their dads for a meaningful conversation about their visits and such.  
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Furrball's given gift to his dad was boxing gloves. Although he was surprised about the gift that his blue friend picked out, his father was rather pleased with the gift.

But Furrball wasn't too comfortable with just lying to his dad, so he related to him on who really bought the gift.

But it didn't surprise his father in the least, knowing that his son had no money. Yet, his son wasn't finished with his explanation.

During the course of their time together, Furrball recently tried to prevent himself from telling his father about the incident that got him injured, but his conscience has told him otherwise.

But when he did tell him, he was shocked beyond recognition, but was relieved of his and his friend's safety.

Now it was four days later and Furrball still keeps in contact with his father.  
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Fifi was able to get her father the cologne, despite the fact that she presumed it as perfume. As always, her father was grateful for the gift and they both engaged in a joyful conversation with each other.

Now it was four days later and she kept in contact with her dad.

And as for her interest in romance, she still held up to her agenda on choosing school before romance. And Furrball and Hampton couldn't agree more.

In Fifi's own words: '_Romance can wait._'  
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Shirley managed to get her dad something unique like a light blue crystal ball, which is much of a relief to her with no offense to her dad. She just figures that if she got him the ball, he'll stop sponging off her for horoscopes.

She doesn't mind at all, but everyone has limits, including herself.

Now four days later, she keeps in contact.

Her relationship with Plucky still remains intact and hopefully about a couple of years from now, they'll become more than just boyfriend and girlfriend.

She just hopes that she could keep Plucky in a positive state without having to deal with his ego.  
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Plucky managed to get his father the gold watch. How he was able to afford it was a total mystery. Nevertheless, his father was pleased with the gift.

Four days later after his time with his father, Plucky focused on his relationship with Shirley.

As the time goes by, he and Shirley would keep themselves in contact with each other. In person when they're alone, and by phone if they're home.

Hopefully, Plucky would level down on his ego and keep a positive thought in order to have a peaceful relationship with her. Whether they can put their relationship to the next level is ultimately up to them.

Only time will tell.  
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Hampton didn't get his father a gift, but he did him one better. He took him to one of the biggest restaurants to date..._The Hometown Buffet._

He and his father always wanted to go there and choose a variety of food of their choice. To him and his father, it was heaven.

His father was graceful for the invitation and they both kept in contact four days later.  
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Binky has managed to spend time with her dad throughout the course of the four days and her relationship with him was going along smoothly.

They would converse along the way and enjoy themselves as time progresses.

She has never said to anyone of her romantic interest and it was best that she kept it that way for the time being. Right now, she was willing to have a good time with her father without any incident.

Momentarily, she got into thought about Buster and his late father. She felt terrified at the beginning of that tragic event, but briefly got the thought off to keep from pressuring herself.

True, she hasn't known Buster as long as Babs did, so she couldn't possibly understand what he was going through, hence the reason why she didn't interfere.

All she could do right now is hope that her blue friend would be okay and well.  
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Max was in his mansion, sitting on his chair and was pretty much in thought.

He has gotten a glimpse of his television on the incident on Father's Day and, for the first time, grew shocked from that tragic event.

Emotionally, he felt bad for Buster. Sure, they tried to outwit one another and didn't get along, but when it comes down to tragedy, lives could change in an instant.

The very indication of that event has got him to think about his own parents. All his life, he has been careless of others, his parents included. He started thinking that what if his parents were next and he wasn't able to have a good conversation with them. Maybe it was about time he did care.

With a look of determination on his face, he called out to his butler, Rusifer.

As Rusifer arrived, Max got up from his seat and spoke.

"Rusifer, did you mail the letters yet?"

"I haven't started unless you permitted me to, sir."

"Alright. I want you to get them back, write a check for ten grands, and then mail them."

Rusifer nodded.

"Yes, sir."

As Rusifer left, Max lowered his gaze to the ground and issued a slight smile before going back to his seat.  
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Buster and Babs constantly resumed their day of the summer vacation as usual.

Babs has managed to get her father a new gold wallet to replace an old ruined one and he grew astonished by the looks of it.

Nonetheless, he was graceful for the gift.

Momentarily, they would start spending time with each other, but throughout the course of that, she started thinking about Buster.

Ever since the incident, Buster was closed off over the last three days.

First, he wasn't returning her calls, and then he left somewhere without telling her. It almost led her to believe that he was an emotional wreck.

That proof was well taken due to the disturbing incident at the cemetery. But she tried to get the thought from her mind. Buster was okay and well. And all it took was hope and comfort to heal a grieving soul.  
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In the burrow, Buster was in the kitchen that late afternoon, inspecting the entire place. Why? Was it because it reminds him so much of his father? In his opinion, it does. It reminds him plenty about his father.

He remembers the sour carrot juice that he made. Then, he remembered what his father said.

'..._If you wanna know the secret to this drink, you're gonna have to learn that on your own._'

It didn't take long for Buster to get to work on the ingredients. First, he placed sliced carrots into the blender, and sprinkles of sugar before switching on the machine.

After a while, he shuts it off and poured the juice into a glass before taking a sip of it.

After close examination, he didn't feel the sour taste of it, which means, that it wasn't it. Maybe it was something else. Or maybe he needs an addition to this recipe.

So he repeated the process, only this time, he added sprinkles of cinnamon to the mix.

After the mixture of the blender, he poured the juice into the glass and took a sip of it. As he did, he cringed at the strong sourness of the juice.

Afterwards, he looked at the glass of juice with a hint of surprise and issued a snicker of joy of his creation.

"I did it."

Then, he looked forward at particularly nothing and smiled.

"This ones for you, Dad. Thank you."

Then, he took a large swig of the juice and swallowed it whole.  
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The next day, which is Friday at the beginning of the afternoon, everyone was having a picnic in the park, literally enjoying themselves.

Among the crowds are Buster, Babs, and the others sitting on a large sheet with a variety of foods like sandwiches, hot dogs, and the newly carrot drink to the beverage.

Throughout the course of the picnic, Buster was in silence and in thought about what transpired at the cemetery before speaking.

"Hey, Babs?"

Babs gazed him.

"Yes?"

"About what you said at the cemetery. You were kind of my mind-reader when you said I was wrong about knowing what it was like to lose someone. So my question is: _Did you lose someone?_"

Babs grew hesitant for a while, and then spoke.

"Yes. My, uh... grandmother passed away about two months ago."

In awkward silence, Buster spoke.

"Oh. I-I had no idea. I'm sorry."

Babs shook her head and spoke.

"No, it's alright. You had a right to know."

Buster issued a soft smile before resuming his meal.

As Babs and Binky took a sip of the drink, they both cringed from the sourness of it.

"Oh! Buster, what'd you put in this drink?" Babs asked

Buster noticed and smiled.

"My little secret."

Snickering, Babs shook her head before looking over Buster's shoulder at the sight of Derek, LJ, and Tom approaching their position.

Grimacing in annoyance, Babs spoke.

"Heads up, Buster."

"Hmm?"

As he turned around, he saw his quarries approaching his way as he sighed in annoyance.

As Derek, LJ, and Tom halted in front of the group, the lead coyote spoke.

"Hey, long ears, you got a minute?" He asked

"Look, Derek--"

"It's-It's just a minute."

Buster looked up to him and studied his facial expression. And from the look that he's giving off, it must be signified as a measure of concern.

As he stood up, Derek dismisses his lackeys as he beckoned to Buster to walk with him.

But before any of his friends could protest, Buster halted them from doing so to the indication that he'll be fine.

While LJ and Tom stood by a tree, the group grew in silence for a while before allowing him to carry on the ordeal.

Eventually, Buster and Derek started walking away from the others and into a clearing in the park where they are the only ones there.

Both grew silence before Derek spoke.

"Look, man...I owe you an apology." He said while Buster listened. "I mean, I-I had no idea that you felt the way that you did for your dad like that. You know, in truth, it took guts for your old man to visit the school the way he did. And I respect that. I was just too scared to admit it. Hell, I haven't been gettin' along to well with my old man myself and that kinda got me frustrated at times that I had to take it out on someone."

He took a deep sigh of breath before resuming.

"I'm sorry for what we did to you, man. And I'm sorry to hear about your dad."

Buster stayed quiet throughout the whole conversation, literally studying Derek's expression on his face.

After a while of observation, Buster slightly nodded upon anticipation and spoke.

"Jealously. Wish I could've seen that coming beforehand."

"I-I know. And I'm--"

"Apology Accepted."

Derek grew a bit surprised by his sudden answer, but issued a soft smile nonetheless as he extended his other hand.

Buster took it.

"And, uh...I'm sorry about your hand. How is it, by the way?"

Derek looked at his bandaged hand.

"This? Oh, it's getting better as days pass." He said before gazing Buster.

Silence, Buster issued a smile before speaking.

"Say, uh...you and your friends wanna join us for a picnic?"

Snickering a bit, Derek nodded in response as he and Buster made their way back to the others. As they got there, LJ and Tom literally spoke their apologies to the blue bunny and joined them on the picnic ground.

It looks like Buster has made peace with his bully. What were the odds of that happening? Only time would tell.

And Buster enjoyed his life and time as usual while keeping his late father Harold Bunny in two places of his soul. _In his memory, and his heart._

**The End.**

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